CHIME Survey Reveals CIOs See Application Rationalization as Critical to Cost Savings—Yet 80% Have Not Fully Implemented a Program

Findings point to structural barriers—including governance, ownership, and financial clarity—that prevent health systems from translating rationalization goals into scalable, cost-saving programs

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearsense®, a healthcare data enablement platform company, today announced findings from a new survey of College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) member CIOs and health IT leaders on the state of application rationalization and decommissioning in U.S. health systems. The results expose a stark gap between strategic priority and real-world execution.

According to the survey, 76% of CIOs say application rationalization is critical to their application portfolio management strategy, and more than a third identify it as a major driver of cost savings. Yet only one in five report having a fully implemented, ongoing program—and 20% admit their organizations have not even started the work.

Among organizations that have begun rationalization efforts, 40% say they review their application portfolios for archiving and decommissioning only “as needed,” rather than on a defined cadence. Governance is often informal, with decisions driven primarily by IT leadership and limited cross-functional structure.

The findings align with broader industry signals. The Gartner ® 2026 CIO and Technology Executive Survey shows that cost optimization has become the most pervasive priority shaping CIO objectives over the next two years—driven by CEO expectations, constrained budgets, and economic pressure.

“Health systems are under immense financial pressure, yet many are missing one of the most immediate opportunities to reduce costs. Gartner has already validated that legacy decommissioning delivers measurable ROI, and proven models now exist to help organizations execute this work successfully. With the right structure, health systems can finally capture the savings they’ve been leaving on the table and build the data foundation required for future innovation,” said Jason Z. Rose, CEO, Clearsense.

Clearsense points to recent work with Trinity Health as evidence that an assembly line approach to application rationalization can change the equation. In a recent Gartner case study, “Trinity Health Drives IT Cost Optimization With Legacy Decommissioning,” analysts detail how Trinity retired more than 740 redundant systems across clinical, financial, and operational domains—delivering approximately $68 million in recurring operating expense reductions and projecting over $100 million in long-term savings as the program continues.

“Trinity’s experience shows what’s possible when health systems move from ‘as-needed’ decommissioning to a sustainable operating model,” Rose added. “The survey tells us CIOs are ready for that kind of playbook.”

The Clearsense CHIME Member Survey on application rationalization and application portfolio management was conducted in 2025 among CIOs and health IT leaders within the CHIME community. Respondents were asked about the importance of application rationalization, the maturity of their programs, review and governance practices, perceived barriers, and key motivators for archiving and decommissioning applications.

About Clearsense
Clearsense is a healthcare data enablement platform that helps health systems save millions, reduce risk, and unlock innovation. Its 1Clearsense™ platform eliminates "zombie apps"—redundant legacy systems that drain resources—through active archiving that unifies data at unprecedented velocity and scale. The platform streamlines operations, strengthens compliance, and fuels advances in analytics, AI, and research—ultimately revitalizing healthcare data. Learn more at clearsense.com.

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