Assessing the Role of and Building a Business Case for Technology in Healthcare

Abstract

As the healthcare market continues to evolve, technology plays a growing role in an integrated delivery system's ability to provide high-quality, cost-effective care. Healthcare leaders must be proactive and forward-thinking about their technology investments because the financial investment for technology innovation can be significant. Healthcare leaders must deliberately design the role of technology and develop a consistent method for evaluating, identifying, and prioritizing technology investments. The article describes technology's role in a healthcare organization as a window to the organization, a driver of business strategy, and a high-performance enabler. The article also develops a process for building a business case to ensure that an organization's technology investments are well-reasoned and will provide value. In addition, the article discusses the importance of combining people and process reengineering with new technology to exponentially increase the value of an organization. Healthcare leaders must understand the multiple roles of technology and consistently develop a business case when making technology investment decisions.