IT Expenditures as a Component of Patient Treatment Costs in Hospital-Based Healthcare Providers: Evidence from Public Procurement Data (2011–2021)
IT Expenditures as a Component of Patient Treatment Costs in Hospital-Based Healthcare Providers: Evidence from Public Procurement Data (2011–2021)

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this study is to examine the expenditure associated with the computerisation of the public healthcare system, the proportion of these costs within total treatment expenditure, the structure of such costs, and the trends underlying their evolution. The research was conducted using existing data derived from public sources related to the public procurement market in Poland. A total of four million documents published in the Public Procurement Bulletin and the Supplement to the Official Journal of the European Union (TED) between 2011 and 2021 were collected and analysed. Using CPV codes, purchases related to computerisation were identified and classified into appropriate procurement categories. The findings reveal an exponential increase in IT-related costs within the public healthcare system, as well as an exponential rise in their share of total medical expenditure. The results also indicate a transformation in the structure of purchases, demonstrating a growing emphasis on specialised information systems. The marked increase in computerisation costs in Poland's public healthcare system suggests that technology is assuming an increasingly significant role in healthcare delivery. The exponential growth in the proportion of these costs within overall expenditure implies that investments in technology may constitute a key component of future health system development strategies. Conversely, these changes may also stem from the disproportionate rise in the prices of IT sector products and services relative to those of other industries, influenced by factors such as economic conditions, geopolitical circumstances, or market monopolisation.

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