Research

A Senior IT Executive Perspective on Data Growth in Hospitals (PDF)
Senior Lecturer Emeritus Jack Rockart, CISR, MIT Sloan School
September 2009

Abstract:
This paper reports on the results of interviews with eight senior IT hospital executives and two
medical insurance organization CIOs on the subject of data management in the hospital industry. The
executives were asked to talk about their current amount of data storage, its growth in the past several
years and their expectations for data storage growth in the future. They also discussed the value they
saw in current and future data and the issues they face in the management of this data. All saw very
significant growth in data in the next several years caused by six major factors. These are the growth
in the volume as well as the technology of imaging, expanded use of electronic medical records,
increased use of “Web 2.0” software, growth in “decision support” capabilities, the development of new
health information networks and the advent of genetic testing. The executives saw significant value in
today’s and future data both for patients and the healthcare system. Finally, they noted many issues,
both current and future, in the management of data.