Healthcare falls behind in high-tech investment

The healthcare industry is significantly under-investing in IT, according to a report out this week from research house Datamonitor.

According to the company's market analysis, complex and expensive systems have discouraged doctors and healthcare workers from adopting new technology. It claims cost savings arising from IT haven't been large enough or obvious enough to warrant the significant installation costs.

Author of the report, Stephen Birch, said: "The healthcare industry has been historically reluctant to invest in IT. There's a number of reasons for this - the most important of which is that the cost associated with IT systems has been large enough to provide significant resistance to uptake, especially amongst physicians."

Neil Bacon, director of GP portal doctor.net.uk, blamed the slow uptake on poor technology. "Why do doctors have this attitude? The NHS and vendors have given them multiple promises, but they've been let down time and time again by shoddy products.

"The problem is that they've been giving rubbish products to people who are too busy," said Bacon.

But according to Datamonitor's Birch, the rise of Web-enabled technologies is changing the market: "With the rise of the Internet, unprecedented amounts of people - particularly on the patient side - are accessing the Internet for medical information.

"This is causing physicians to realise that the Internet is a valuable source of both information and systems for their medical practice."

The report suggests the use of thin clients and ASPs (Application Service Providers) will spread rapidly in healthcare, allowing doctors to access information and new software programs without the need for extra IT support.

Bacon added: "The market is changing at the speed of light. All the new doctors and students becoming qualified now are using the Internet. The old attitudes are changing."