In the U.S., 302 developing and planned accountable care organizations are expected to spend a total of about $500 million on health IT systems in their first year, according to a report by Black Book Rankings, FierceHealthIT reports (Hall, FierceHealthIT, 9/25).
For the report, Black Book surveyed 302 ACOs across 46 states in the third quarter of 2012 (Black Book Rankings release, 9/24).
According to the report, smaller ACOs are expected to face about $1 million in startup costs for data and technology, while larger ACOs are expected to face about $4 million in such costs (Punke, Becker's Hospital Review, 9/25).
Although nearly all ACOs said they actively are acquiring health IT systems, fewer than 7% said they have a synchronized stakeholder strategy for purchasing technology.
The report also found that:
- 88% of ACOs said they would seek advice from consultants or vendors when selecting a health IT system;
- 39% said their technology purchasing decisions will be made before Q3 of 2013; and
- 28% said they already have basic health exchange and interoperability strategies in place.
According to the report, more than 50% of surveyed hospitals and payers said they expect a return on investment in health IT within two years of operation (FierceHealthIT, 9/25).