A new research report from Canadian Healthcare Technology…

I.T. Project management in Canadian Hospitals: Challenges and Responses

Hospital executives know they must invest rapidly in computerized technologies to improve patient safety, increase the quality of medical outcomes, and reduce operating costs. But do they have the Project Management skills in their organizations that are needed to successfully implement I.T. solutions? We sought to find out.

Our latest study was conducted earlier this year. We polled 262 CIOs and IT directors in hospitals and health regions across Canada, and received full responses to our survey from 70 I.T. leaders – a 27% completion rate.

The information provided was analyzed and turned into a 60-page report, including 32 charts and tables, by Canadian Healthcare Technology’s research team, headed by Richard Irving, PhD, a professor of management science at York University in Toronto.

The report provides first-of-its-kind information about the state of project management in Canadian hospitals, along with an update on the IT priorities of hospitals and health regions and their current levels of spending. The study covers:

• What constitutes a major IT project in Canadian hospitals? Measurements by cost, time and persons involved.
• How many major IT projects do Canadian hospitals have under way? What is the average number?
• How familiar are IT directors with standard PM progress measures and analytical tools?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of senior managers in hospitals when it comes to PM?
• What are the project management tools that IT directors and senior managers should be acquainted with?
• What is the success/failure rate of IT projects in Canadian hospitals?
• What is needed for IT project success?
• What can hospitals do to instill a culture that welcomes the use of PM techniques?
• What are the IT project priorities for Canadian hospitals and health regions?
• What is the role for governments?

Who would benefit from I.T. Project Management in Canadian Hospitals: Challenges and Responses?

• Hospitals and health regions may use the study as a planning and educational resource. It can be used as a way of benchmarking current practices and developing new techniques and goals.
• Companies, particularly those involved in hospital IT systems design and implementation, may use the survey to assess the state of their own PM expertise, develop skills, and transfer knowledge to customers and projects in the healthcare sector.
• Governments may use the report to help improve the deployment of IT solutions in healthcare organizations in their jurisdictions.

I.T. Project Management in Canadian Hospitals: Challenges and Responses is available from the publishers of Canadian Healthcare Technology magazine. A printed copy is available for $495.00 + GST; a shareable electronic version, in pdf format, is available for $1,995.00 + GST. Please call Neil Zeidenberg, Assistant Editor, at (905) 709-2330, or send an e-mail message to "neilz at canhealth.com"