Healthcare IT Leaders Prioritize ROI and Workforce Support Amidst AI Growth, Stoltenberg Consulting Survey Finds

What You Should Know: 

– Healthcare leaders are grappling with resource strain while focusing on maximizing returns on their IT investments, according to Stoltenberg Consulting’s 12 annual Health IT Industry Outlook Report. 

– Stoltenberg Consulting’s survey included healthcare CIOs, all members of the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), representing a diverse range of U.S. hospital facilities. These included multi-hospital health systems, community hospitals, academic medical centers, and ambulatory surgical facilities.

Maximizing System ROI is a Key Priority

The survey indicates that “retaining and budgeting for qualified IT resources” is the most pressing IT operational challenge for hospitals and health systems in 2025, cited by 39% of respondents. Despite various investment priorities, hospital CIOs are increasingly focused on getting the most value from their existing IT systems. The prioritization of “getting the most out of existing IT purchases” reached a survey all-time high, with 62% of CIOs identifying it as a key financial goal.

Emphasis on Support Optimization

To address ongoing workforce concerns, CIOs are emphasizing support optimization.

• “Clinician end-user education and knowledge transfer, including workflow optimization” was ranked as the top CIO priority for stronger IT support, receiving 50% of the votes.
  
• “Onboarding and/or lack of continuous technology training” was identified as the greatest IT-related support frustration among end users, cited by 35% of respondents.
  

AI and Cybersecurity are Major Focus Areas

• “AI and machine learning” continues to be a dominant topic in the Health IT industry, increasing from 32% of respondent votes in the previous survey to 46% in 2025.
  
• “Cybersecurity, privacy, and risk management measures” is the leading area for IT investment in 2025, with 23% of hospitals allocating the most IT dollars to it.
  

“We’re continuing to see the ripple effect from funding cuts impacting the full provider landscape — from community health centers to health systems across the country,” Kaitlyn Nelson, Director of Account Solutions and Development, said. “As a result, healthcare facilities are actively seeking cost-effective support options to address resource gaps to maintain daily workflow and end-user needs, while driving greater value from IT systems.”