Scottsdale Institute Creates an IT Benchmarking Program

Of particular usefulness, Snyder notes, the SI IT Benchmarking Program has allowed him and his colleagues to benchmark their health system’s IT spending with that of other, similarly sized, health systems using the same core-clinical vendor (in their case, the Kansas City-based Cerner Corporation). In the end, he says, using the program “has allowed us to do an effective comparison on IT spending when we’ve presented to our system’s executive committee on IT, to help them really understand how our operating costs fare, relatively speaking.” In an industry like healthcare, where it’s very difficult to quantify hard return on investment (ROI) for IT spending, tools such as this one, Snyder says, offer particular value, adding that a recent upgrading of the program that allows organizations to report where they are on fulfilling the requirements of meaningful use has been especially helpful.

In the end, Snyder says, “A database is only as good as the breadth of its participants.” And the Scottsdale Institute folks, he says, “have enhanced that, and to the degree that there’s a broader participation of other health systems, it can only accrue to everybody’s best interest. So I applaud the Scottsdale Institute for doing this, and also for not making it overly complicated.”

For more information, go to: www.scottsdaleinstitute.org