DOTmed reported that according to a group purchasing organization's online survey of member C-suite executives and supply chain managers, hospitals will lower their capital equipment spending in 2012 as they struggle with reimbursement cuts and other budget constraints.
 
According to the report, in the GPO Premier health care alliance's survey of 730 members, almost one-third said capital budgets declined over last year, reflecting a gloomier outlook than was presented in the GPO's survey from spring 2011. However, a majority of respondents still said their hospitals' budgets remained the same or increased, even if this majority shrank slightly from last year.

According to the survey, 35% of respondents said capital budgets declined from last year, compared with only 28% who responded similarly in spring 2011. Around 22% said budgets were flat compared with 26% in spring 2011, while 43% said budgets had increased versus 46% in 2011.

The article states that much of the money that was being spent was not going to equipment, but rather to information technology upgrades or infrastructure projects, with 43% of respondents saying largest investments would be allocated to IT and telecommunications investments and 11% toward imaging equipment.