ATLANTA – During the annual HIMSS conference here in early March, nothing was more irritating than a particular finding in the association’s yearly survey of information technology priorities by healthcare CIOs.

Not even the overdone mentions of "EHR," "EMR" and "meaningful use" in everything, everywhere – the holy trinity that will save healthcare and healthcare reform, if only physicians can be convinced and persuaded to swallow the bait. Yes, it’s a technology overdue but the constant head-pummels about its importance and necessity were overwhelming – and the IT folks aren’t even the ones to use it, let alone plug it in.

But at least it overshadowed the previous term that enjoyed its 15 minutes of fame. Granted, nearly a decade has passed since the dot-com heyday and its overhyped hoopla so companies must have overlooked (or conveniently forgotten) the cynical and dismissive classifications, "smoke and mirrors" and "vaporware" that defined the technology to embrace "cloud computing" as a not-so-clever reference to online third-party hosting of services.

The 21st Annual HIMSS Leadership Survey served up this tasty (or tasteless) morsel in its final report about the findings: "None of the respondents identified supply chain systems as a top IT priority that would be addressed in the next two years."

In a word: Ouch. What’s wrong with this? Plenty. Let’s open Pandora’s box.

• Unfortunately, the survey response was relatively small – not really HIMSS’ problem unless you make a bigger deal out of the results than them being a snapshot of current thinking, influenced by media campaigning.

• During the press conference to promote the survey, HIMSS officials made a point of verbally referencing the result. It was one of the rare few actual mentions of any results near or at the bottom of any survey question. Typically, you highlight the top three to five responses to each question to allude to a trend. Supply chain was No. 10 in the top IT priority question. Maybe that’s a trend.

• CIOs and IT professionals responded. In healthcare, CIOs care even less about supply chain operations than physicians and CEOs – two groups that are starting to elevate the strategic importance of supply chain activities on clinical and financial operations. In fact, if it weren’t for supply chain modules within ERP systems, IT largely wouldn’t even recognize supply chain on its radar as many healthcare supply chain departments with MMIS capabilities staff their own IT persons to spin the dials.

• With a pending Congressional tax on medical devices and supplies as a funding mechanism for healthcare reform, as well as hue and cry over drug costs, how do you ignore supply chain?

• Sunrise dates for adoption and implementation of supply chain data standards take place during the next two years, which will impact item master-chargemaster connections and affect reimbursement and net income.

Ironically, no one listed a supply chain focus as a top IT priority for the next two years, but 1 percent did in the previous year’s survey. Juxtapose that with CIO responses to their key business objectives. "Improve supply chain" garnered a 1 percent response in 2010, but a goose egg the year before. Conclusion: Some CIOs are going to improve the supply chain without software. This must be bad news for HIMSS exhibitors who sell supply chain management software (unless they expect to more than make up for the presumed lost sales with an EHR/EMR software sale extravaganza). This can only be good news for distributors, GPOs and consulting companies who no doubt will seize the data and pick up the slack.

Yet the most bamboozling, befuddling observation is this: Not incorporating supply chain performance in anything physician-related, as well as IT-related, is akin to tying a full trash bag closed without repairing the gaping hole in the bottom.

Call it a GIGO-byte out of true efficiency and reliable high-quality performance.