The role of CIOs is changing as the HIT management model shifts toward decentralised department heads and Line of Business (LOB) executives.


This was one of the findings of Black Book Market Research in recently-released material based on the results of surveys undertaken in the U.S. by 247 CIOs and 1,305 Non-IT C-Level and senior management leaders.


LOB management teams are acquiring responsibility for IT purchase decision with 88% citing an increased demand for their tech expertise. Formerly, CIOs controlled the majority of purchase decisions but this year, decision-making responsibilities dropped to 8% from 71%.


This is partly due to digitalisation which is making “a permanent change to the health systems IT purchase process”, said Black Book. Market Research.


The research said 88% of C Suite colleagues regard CIOs as “developers and deployers of technology, and not usually as a source of innovation and transformation to deliver business value”.  CIOs themselves (81%) see themselves as being in a ‘transformational’, underutilised role rather than one that is purely functional.


See also: Developing role of CIO in healthcare management: from the IT guy to CIO


Hospital CIO turnover has reached its highest figure since 2005 with an average tenure of 3.2 years reported. As a benchmark, the U.S. average across all industries is 4.5 years and a noticeable trend in healthcare is to recruit CIOs from outwith the sector.


Against this backdrop, a new position is entering the management arena: The Chief Digital Officer (CDO). The main duty of a CDO is to question how every dollar spent on tech investment benefits the hospital business. The objective is to develop new business models and processes and to separate the technical demands a CIO has to face from innovation.


In short, CDOs are focusing on how to use the latest technologies to better the healthcare consumer experience, while the CIO manages daily operations, data governance and budgets.


Source: PRNewswire

Image credit: Pixabay

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