ROI under scrutiny: the radical redefinition of a core concept

This article offers a three-part analysis for identifying and assessing return on investment in healthcare information technology (IT) projects. Returns to IT can be financial, clinical, or structural. The goal is to identify key areas of measurable returns to both assess the value of a project before it is undertaken and to assess the actual value returned to the organization. Given the choice, many senior executives still prefer to rely on classic financial analyses, but the true value of a project is often found in the clinical and structural returns. Still, project-specific assessments do not answer the core question of whether long-term strategic investment in IT leads to a systemic strategic advantage to healthcare organizations. This article addresses these issues and indicates opportunities for further investigation.