Study: Indian Healthcare Industry Ready to Spend on IT

India's healthcare industry plans to spend more than $250 million on IT in 2010, according to a study by New York-based consultancy Access Markets International Partners. The study was mostly focused on hospitals and healthcare providers, but there are some implications for insurance as well.Computing spending drives more than half the overall IT spending for this vertical, the study found. In addition, Internet spending makes up approximately 13% of the total market.

Access also noted a trend toward automation, especially with hospital management systems managing patient records, patient registration, scheduling, billing, monitoring and inventory management.

Combined with a maturing health insurance sector, "the stage is set for establishing greater operational efficiencies, compliance with government regulations and uptake of latest technologies," said Dev Chakravarty, assistant manager of research at Access Markets International Partners India, in a statement.

Insurance technology providers should look at this area as an emerging market, as Indian carriers will require up-to-date systems to keep pace with their provider counterparts.

Nathan Golia is senior editor of Insurance & Technology. He joined the publication in 2010 as associate editor and covers all aspects of the nexus between insurance and information technology, including mobility, distribution, core systems, customer interaction, and risk ... View Full Bio