The majority of healthcare executives anticipate that Internet of Things will become mainstream this year, according to a new report from consultancy IDC.
Nearly 40 percent already have pilot projects or IoT work underway, IDC noted in a new report, “The Internet of Things — Connecting a Healthcare Ecosystem.”
Seventy-three percent, meanwhile, said they are either prepared or very prepared to support IoT in 2017.
[Also: IDC pegs digital transformation market at $20 trillion]
IDC analysts found that the most common reasons hospitals are adopting IoT-related technologies are the demonstrable return on investment, new regulations encouraging telemedicine services, digital transformation strategies, new care delivery and reimbursement models and a move to more consumer-centric platforms.
The top barriers to IoT adoption are privacy and security, limited financial incentives, lack of talent to support IT including data and analytic skills and a focus on other initiatives.
That said, the analysts also noted that such IoT projects emerge from the IT shop or business units while C-suite involvement is limited — which IDC said signify that IoT strategies are department-level rather than enterprise-wide.
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Email the writer: tom.sullivan@himssmedia.com
