August 29, 2014 — The high demand for qualified health information technology (IT) professionals continues, as revealed in the 2014 HIMSS Workplace Study, conducted by HIMSS Analytics. The study shows more than 84 percent of survey respondents reported their organization hired at least one staff member in the past year, a finding consistent with the 2013 survey (86 percent). With hiring in 2014 expected to continue at the 2013 pace, 82 percent of survey respondents planned to hire at least one full-time employee (FTE) in the next 12 months, a slight increase from the 79 percent of respondents planning the same in 2013.
To satisfy the demand for desired workers, the study discovered that healthcare employers use multiple approaches to recruit qualified IT professionals. Yet, respondents considered IT recruiters/executive search firms to be the most effective resource to leverage in meeting their hiring demands.
HIMSS Analytics conducted this research in May-June 2014 with findings based on responses from 200 individuals representing healthcare providers, vendors and consulting organizations, a sample considered generally representative of the health IT staffing needs and experiences of these types of organizations operating in the United States.
Additional survey results include the following highlights:
- Staff Needed: Clinical application support staff (58 percent) is the most sought-after position provider organizations plan to hire in the next year, an increase from 34 percent, as reported in the 2013 survey results.
- IT Layoffs: Even though the reported hiring of, or plans to hire, IT staff are quite high, the findings point to a 5 percent increase in staff layoffs between 2013 (8 percent) and 2014 (13 percent).
- Outsourcing or Not: Healthcare provider organizations expect to continue use of outsourced services in the next year; over two-thirds (70 percent) of respondents reported at least one area of anticipated outsourcing. Use of outsourced services decreased this year, since the 2013 survey found 93 percent of healthcare provider organizations planned at least one outsourced service.
For more information: www.himssanalytics.org
March 21, 2024 
