IT Staffing Benchmarks

[JimLeo]

Staffing an IT department based on volume statistics like discharges or admissions is really not feasible (as we all know). In many cases, as departmental activity scales back (patient volume falls off), department staff often have more time to focus on projects that drive activity to IT.

From a standpoint of purely technical IT support functions, a staffing model based on device counts is appropriate, I have generally used PC's and printers along with Servers as a base point and if Telecom support is involved add a 0.1 to 0.2 multiplier to the staffing ratio (10 - 20% volume in support of Telecom). Staffing models based on device counts are quite varied, but depending on the age of equipment and stability of the IT environment, ratios of 50, 75 or 100 to 1 could be appropriate.

In consideration of Application Support and Ad-Hoc reporting, most facilities in the range of 150 - 300 beds need 1-2 staff in support of standard Financial and Clinical (Lab, Radiology, Pharmacy) Modules. Advanced Clinicals (EMR, ED, OR, Nursing Clinical Documentation, CPOE) due to their high training requirement and population of unfamiliar users could possibly need a dedicated support person. This, of course, depends on the support model employed with the application vendor as well.

In the case of Critical Access Facilities, the Application support is generally delivered by the various clinical departments rather than coming from IT.