HIMSS Analytics plans to extend its products and services to the Canadian healthcare IT market. The group, based in Chicago, is a subsidiary of the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society, and performs research and data collection regarding hospitals and health systems throughout the United States. The expansion will be facilitated via newly formed strategic partnerships with Branham Group and Courtyard Group in Canada.

HIMSS Analytics plans to collect IT-related information for Canadian hospitals. This data will be similar to what has been collected on U.S. hospitals and now populates the HIMSS Analytics Database. Technology adoption in Canadian healthcare organizations will be tracked by collecting information on hospital demographics, utilization and deployment of IT products and services and buying trends in software and hardware applications. This data will also be used to compare Canadian hospitals amongst themselves, and to also compare them to U.S. hospitals using the HIMSS Analytics' EMR Adoption Model, a unique tool that objectively measures an institution's progress toward electronic patient record implementation.

"We're thrilled to take the successful business model of the HIMSS Analytics Database and expand it to new markets," said Dave Garets, president and CEO of HIMSS Analytics. "To ensure the success of this initiative, we're looking to Courtyard Group, which is well-respected among Canadian healthcare providers, to provide strategic advice and insight into the Canadian Healthcare marketplace to ensure meaningful results, and Branham Group Inc., author of the most comprehensive report on the Canadian eHealth market, to enhance their suite of information products on the Canadian eHealth market and to drive our sales and marketing efforts with vendors targeting the Canadian eHealth marketplace."