Bed management software applications, which are used to manage the use of beds in the hospital, present as a “hot” market for vendors and providers to watch, according to data from the recently released HIMSS Analytics report, "Essentials of the U.S. Hospital IT Market."

Using data from the HIMSS Analytics Database, the report profiles 24 applications, covering five operational categories: general finance; financial decision support; human resources applications supply chain management applications; and revenue cycle management applications.

With its focus on the IT applications used in U.S. hospitals to support operational-related functions, such as contract management, benefits administration and materials management, bed management applications reflected a five-year historical growth rate far exceeding the growth rate of all other applications profiled in the Spring 2013 edition. Coupled with its relatively low market penetration level, the data from the report suggest opportunities for vendors in this market are quite attractive.

According to the HIMSS Analytics definition, the bed management application “tracks when beds are available and creates notifications to cleaning staff to prepare the bed for the next patient, and then notifies registration/administration when the bed/room has been cleaned and is available for the next patient.” Thus, this integrated application can help streamline work flow and increase patient satisfaction because the organization can better track availability and location of beds.

“As hospital administrators grapple with ways to maximize limited resources, bed management applications are a logical answer for many facilities looking at ways to improve the flow of inpatients throughout their facility,”  Lorren Pettit vice president, research, HIMSS Analytics, said in a statement.