In this study from Harvard Medical School, the conclusion was that hospital computing may increase some quality but does not necessarily reduce administrative or overall costs.
Click on this link: Hospital Computing and the Costs and Quality of Care
I have observed this phenomenon in a number of organizations. The company spends a large amount of money on technology, consulting, and training and in the end does not have a system that increases the momentum of the organization as a whole. This frequently occurs when the end-users of the system are less involved in the process.
There are however, examples of systems that have been built using the right methodology. One of the referenced systems in the above article is the HELP system used by LDS Hospital. It was built from the ground up with extensive end-user input. It was built over time to expand in to meaningful areas of the organization.
