Health care CIOs: assessing their fit in the organizational hierarchy and their influence on information technology capability.

Despite the continuing interest in the importance of health care information technology adoption, very little is known about chief information officers (CIOs), the individuals who manage this effort. The present study surveyed hospital CIOs to understand their backgrounds, their organizational status, and their influence in hospital health care information technology adoption. Survey responses from 98 organizations suggest that the CIO position varies significantly according to the profit status of the hospital. Further, regression analyses suggest that CIO tenure is associated with greater health care information technology adoption, whereas the reporting structure of the CIO is not. Management implications of the findings are discussed.