Abstract:
Justify future information technology purchases.
"Capital deepening" leads to increased staff productivity and greater return on investment.
Ever-increasing information technology (IT) expenditures often dominate capital budgets. By increasing the amount of capital per employee-a process known as capital deepening-business investment in computers increases output per employee hour (labor productivity). 1 The cliche is true: Health care organizations must work smarter, not harder. To improve outcomes and foster greater return on investment (ROI), we seek ways to streamline processes and enhance the accuracy of care delivery strategies.
Experts agree that we can't reduce medical errors or improve coding, compliance, and operating margins without automating key operational areas, namely, computerized provider order entry, medication administration, billing/coding, medical records, staffing/scheduling, materials management, and financial reporting. The challenge lies in determining which system is optimal and whether or not the investment will produce cost or efficiency savings.