CIOs are losing decision-making power, Black Book finds

Julie Spitzer -

Hospital CIOs are losing IT decision-making power to department heads and line of business management teams, according to a recent survey commissioned by market research firm Black Book.

From June to November 2018, Black Book polled 247 CIOs and 1,305 non-IT C-level and senior management leaders in healthcare about the changing role of the CIO.

Here are seven survey highlights:

1. In 2015, executives reported CIOs controlled 71 percent of IT purchasing decisions, but this year, respondents said CIOs control just 8 percent. Instead, department heads and line of business management teams often hold the purchasing power.

2. Almost half of respondents (45 percent) expect more than one third of all funds spent on IT to come from outside the IT department in 2019.

3. Just 21 percent of CIOs indicated they felt a meaningful involvement in the creation of market-facing innovations and strategic departmental software selections.

4. Twenty-four percent of respondents said the IT department facilitates their organization's entry into new markets and initiatives, down from 80 percent in 2014.

5. Almost all CIOs surveyed (90 percent) said they were bypassed by line of business management when making technology investments in 2018, compared to 17 percent in 2016.

6. Ninety-one percent of CIOs said they expect their roles to change because of healthcare's emphasis on digitization.

7. The top three capabilities executives plan to seek out for CIO candidates in 2019 are:

  • Innovation as a critical element of success: 83 percent
  • Connectivity to engage as a leader in the flow of all organizational information: 81 percent
  • Communication leaders in an era of medical and financial data driven cultures: 77 percent  

To access the complete Black Book survey results, click here.

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