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The Hospital CFO Technology Outlook Report: How Financial Leaders are Rethinking Spend in 2026
Hospitals have faced continued, significant financial headwinds over the last several years, and 2026 is shaping up to be no different, even as technology budgets grow. Cost pressure is rising, ROI expectations remain elevated, and hospital teams are operating with limited resources and talent, increasing scrutiny on every dollar spent. CFOs have far less tolerance for risk as financial strain and pressure for measurable returns intensifies.
Against this backdrop, CFOs are applying a more informed and experienced lens to technology budgets. Rather than evaluating investments at a high level alone, finance leaders are drawing on a clearer understanding of which pilots succeed, where technologies fall short, and how hidden risks ultimately show up on the balance sheet. As proving ROI becomes more critical, clinical and operational use cases must meet a higher bar to secure funding.
To uncover how CFOs are making decisions on tech investments, SmartSense surveyed 150 U.S.-based hospital CFOs and compiled its Hospital CFO Technology Outlook Report. The report’s top takeaways are as follows:
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