Healthcare telecommunication costs to increase

According to a new market research study conducted by the Insight Research Corporation, the healthcare industry will spend more than $69 billion on telecommunications services over the next six years.

The study showed that spending on telecommunications by the U.S. healthcare industry will increase at a compounded rate of 9.7 percent over the period considered.

"Healthcare providers are avid consumers of telecommunications services and new technology," said Fran Caulfield, Insight research director. "The combination of increased demand for wireless and broadband access, massive data storage demands, and the conversion to electronic health records and procedures is straining existing healthcare networks."

The forecast showed that telecommunications services will increase from $9.1 billion in 2012 to $14.4 billion in 2017. The telecom spending will coincide with the opening of new facilities and rising employment in the sector. Insight said that healthcare-related employment will grow 2.5 faster than the national employment rate.

According to The Associated Press, healthcare spending has decreased nationwide, which the government welcomes as a sign that healthcare providers' budgets have some breathing room. However, some say that spending will go back up as the economy improves.