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SmartSense Survey: 75% of Hospital CFOs Report Heightened Cost Pressures in 2026; One in Four Lose Over $1M Annually to Preventable Failures
A SmartSense survey of 150 U.S.-based hospital CFOs finds 94% of respondents reporting unexpected expenses related to environmental condition monitoring
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[{"type":"text","content":"\nA SmartSense survey of 150 U.S.-based hospital CFOs finds 94% of respondents reporting unexpected expenses related to environmental condition monitoring failures\n\n\n BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nSmartSense by Digi, part of Digi International (NASDAQ: DGII, www.digi.com) and a leading global provider of Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity solutions, today released findings from its Hospital CFO Technology Outlook Report, based on a survey of 150 U.S.-based hospital CFOs. The report examines technology budget expectations, investment priorities, and how organizations are navigating increased economic pressure. In the findings of the report, 73% of CFOs say their organization’s technology budget will increase in 2026, AI tops priorities for clinical and operational use cases, and proven ROI is more dire than ever.\n\nThis press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260318967844/en/SmartSense Survey: 75% of Hospital CFOs Report Heightened Cost Pressures in 2026; One in Four Lose Over $1M Annually to Preventable Failures \n“Our survey captures how financial leaders are making decisions at a time when American hospitals face persistent financial headwinds,” said Guy Yehiav, President of SmartSense by Digi. “Cost pressure is rising, ROI expectations are tightening, and hospitals are being asked to do more with less money and talent across every department. The findings paint a clear picture: tech investments are growing, but scrutiny is growing faster. CFOs are not going to sign off on innovation unless there’s a clear bottom-line benefit within 12 months.”\n\n\nCFOs have three wishes for their tech investments amid tight budgets\n\n\nThough tech budgets are up year over year, 75% of hospital CFOs say cost pressures are higher now than in the previous three years, effectively cutting required payback periods for new investments in half. Historically, hospitals targeted ROI within a three-year window. However, the SmartSense study finds that 51% of respondents now require returns to exceed 110% within 18 months, meaning full recovery of initial investment plus an additional 10% in financial gain. About one in five (19%) expect returns to exceed 120% within 12 months.\n\n\nAt the same time, one in four (26%) of CFOs say their organization has no strict ROI requirements, so l...