Putting the I in IT

Information technology is the thorn in every hospital managers side. Hospitals spend enormous amounts of capital providing physicians with the latest technology to diagnose and treat patients. IT initiatives need to be evaluated by hospital management to make sure they align with the organizations overall goals and objectives.

Questions you should be asking about your IT strategy are:

- Is the IT infrastructure able to meet business needs?
- How is IT performance measured?
- How are IT investment decisions proposed, shared, and delivered?
- How is IT performance accountability divided between the organization and IT department?
- Does IT staff need to understand strategic business goals and objectives?
- Do employees recognize, define, and communicate IT needs effectively?

By answering these questions and then working with your CIO, your organization will be able to identify the most relevant business areas.