By Healthcare Facilities Today

Increasing investments in IT and facilities are among the top three growth areas in hospital spending over the next five years, according to senior hospital executives polled in an L.E.K. Consulting study.

In its fourth year, the Strategic Hospital Priorities Study found that 60 percent of respondents expect bigger budgets in 2013, with initiatives focusing on managing costs as Medicare and Medicaid enrollments rise, and better leveraging of data as electronic medical records continue to grow in importance.

Of the hospitals surveyed, 80 percent have joined or will join an accountable care organization and 12 percent will likely adopt payer capabilities, L.E.K. Consulting says. In a related trend, purchasing decisions are being centralized, with 80 percent of respondents saying that group purchasing organizations have the most impact over their purchasing decisions.

The survey took place in December 2012 and polled nearly 200 U.S. hospital executives.

Read the study.