The healthcare IT leadership role has fundamentally shifted. Eighty-one percent of respondents to a recent CHIME survey report that they now have greater involvement in strategic business decisions than they did just three years ago. With this strategic influence comes expanded responsibilities: nearly 7 in 10 respondents report that they are experiencing a growing emphasis on innovation and transformation, and more than half say their duties now extend well beyond traditional IT functions.
Where are these increasingly strategic IT leaders directing their investment dollars? The survey reveals both clear priorities and some surprising findings.
Where Healthcare IT Leaders Plan to Increase IT Spending
When asked which areas would see increased IT investment in 2026, survey respondents identified the following:
- AI and automation (76% said they will increase IT spending in this area)
- Cybersecurity (52%)
Just 10% said they anticipate increased IT spending on compliance efforts — perhaps because compliance is embedded in other initiatives rather than funded as a standalone project.
How Data Management Priorities Stack Up
When survey respondents were asked to identify their top three data management priorities specifically, a clear hierarchy emerged:
- Cybersecurity and compliance (86% ranked this in their top 3) — reflecting the critical importance of protecting patient data and meeting regulatory requirements.
- Legacy system consolidation and data archiving (71%) — demonstrating strong recognition of the need to modernize infrastructure and reduce costs associated with outdated legacy systems.
- EHR implementation, conversions, and migrations (62%) — indicating these projects will continue to remain a core focus for many organizations.
- Interoperability enhancements (57%) — reflecting ongoing challenges and optimization needs.
ERP implementation, conversions, and migrations rounded out the top five priorities, with 24% of respondents placing these projects among their top 3 priorities.
How Healthcare Data Management Budgets Are Changing
The survey data reveals healthcare organizations are backing their data management priorities with meaningful budget increases. When asked how their health data management budgets have changed over the past three years:
- 33% reported significant increases (more than 10%)
- 48% reported moderate increases (up to 10%)
- 10% reported somewhat decreased budgets (up to 10%)
- 10% reported significantly decreased budgets (more than 10%)
Combined, 81% of healthcare organizations have increased their health data management budgets over the past three years, signaling strong organizational commitment to addressing data-related challenges and opportunities.
Note: Responses may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
Key Insights and Implications
As healthcare IT leaders navigate their rapidly evolving roles and environment, a few key considerations should be top of mind:
- Legacy data archiving represents both a security and cost-savings opportunity. With 71% of IT leaders ranking legacy system consolidation and data archiving as a top 3 priority, there’s clear recognition that outdated systems create both security vulnerabilities and operational inefficiencies. For organizations with aging infrastructure, the combination of increased data management budgets (81% of survey respondents report increases) and heightened security concerns makes this an opportune time to address archiving initiatives.
For legacy data archiving tips, read our Guide to Legacy Data Management in Healthcare.
- EHR migrations remain a strategic focus. With 57% planning increased spending on EHR migrations and upgrades, and 62% ranking EHR implementations, conversions, and migrations as a top 3 data management priority, EHR initiatives continue to command significant attention and resources. Organizations embarking on EHR migrations should plan for comprehensive data management strategies that address both the migration and long-term data accessibility.
For EHR migration tips, read: EHR Migration Best Practices – 5 Proven Strategies to Complete Your Project On-Time and On-Budget.
Looking Ahead
As healthcare IT leaders take on broader strategic roles, success requires balancing innovation with infrastructure modernization while maintaining security and compliance. The survey findings underscore that effective IT leadership requires both technical expertise and strategic leadership to secure stakeholder buy-in for initiatives that deliver substantial long-term value.
Read our full survey report here.
