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Financing Health Information Technology

Cost is a critical concern in your decision to purchase and adopt health information technology (health IT).  There are costs incurred throughout the different phases of EHR implementation.  These include the upfront costs involved with purchasing the hardware and software, the costs involved with the implementation of the system, and the continuing costs (such as maintenance and repairs) that are incurred throughout the life of the technology.  As you plan for the costs involved, you will need to consider:

- Workflow and process changes necessary to achieve the benefits of health IT
- Staffing to support the health IT
- Selection of software or vendors
- Hardware purchases
- Staff training

You will need to balance these costs with the benefits of health IT.  Although the costs associated with the health IT may seem substantial, health IT offers many benefits, particularly over the long-run. It can help you manage complex information effectively and enable you to deliver health care more efficiently. Health IT can also improve the quality of care and outcomes for patients. The information in this module will assist you with your health IT decision making process and suggest ways to finance your health IT system.