According to a new report from the Orem, Utah-based KLAS, more healthcare providers will be making business intelligence (BI) purchases over the next three years. Authors of the report, Business Intelligence Perception 2012: A Wave is Coming, say the energy around healthcare BI is increasing at a frenetic pace; with half of providers looking to buy or replace their BI solutions in the next three years.

The report says that not only do providers want to use their new BI solution for clinical and financial data, but they are also seeking out solutions that have predictive analytics, data modeling, forecasting, trending, and other functionality that will help them get through various regulatory, HIE, and ACO challenges that lie ahead. One CIO told KLAS, "If hospitals can't produce data analytics in the next couple of years, they are going to suffer. As far as I am concerned, data is money in the future."

Other providers are planning to use a "hybrid strategy" with their BI solution, using vendors to fulfill their organization's needs. "Seventeen percent of the customers we spoke with said that they are using multiple BI solutions to meet various departmental and reporting needs," stated author of the report Joe Van De Graaff. "And that number is likely to grow."

Overall, McKesson has received the most provider considerations, with IBM, Oracle, QlikTech, and SAP rounding out the top five alphabetically.