Leading IDSs heed the call to invest in IT.

Case studies of 11 leading integrated delivery systems (IDSs) found all of these organizations are committed to investing in the development of sophisticated IT systems. The case-study IDSs' primary concerns regarding IT investments were related to achieving adequate financial and patient care returns, accessing capital, finding qualified IT staff, finding reliable IT vendors, achieving physician acceptance, and sharing software and IT solutions with other IDSs. Among the competitive advantages these IDSs have gained from advanced IT capabilities are improved patient satisfaction due to superior service outcomes and the IDS's ability to access clinical information from any point within its delivery system, reduced prescription errors and adverse drug reactions, enhanced quality-improvement efforts, reduced costs associated with telephone calls and paper processing, and enhanced ability to recruit clinical personnel.