I need to know how much was spent on healthcare information technology
in the united states.  2005 numbers are good, but 2004 or 2003 numbers
might be the only thing available.

There are several sources of figures on healthcare information
spending in the United States.  The most recent source citing a
current figure is the first one, which indicated total US healthcare
IT spending of $23 billion.

Sincerely,

Wonko

Sources:

"The largest health IT spending segment is hospitals, which account
for $15.4 billion of the current $23 billion total for health care IT,
which also includes health care clinics and other institutions as well
as doctors' offices." "Report: Health Care IT Market Looks Fit" By
Stacy Lawrence, CIOInsight (October 31, 2005)
http://www.cioinsight.com/article2/0,1540,1879790,00.asp

"The Healthcare Information Technology market in 2003 grew at a rate
of 9.3% to $23.6 billion from $21.6 billion spent in 2002." "ITAA
E-Health: The Healthcare Information Technology Spending Outlook with
Sheldon I. Dorenfest" Information Technology Association of America
(April 23, 2004) http://www.itaa.org/events/event.cfm?EventID=1024

"...[A]nalyst firm Gartner predicted that IT spending would grow to
$47.9 billion in 2006, up from $34.1 billion in 2001. Research firm
Sheldon I. Dorenfest & Associates predicted that the growth in health
care IT spending would outpace that of other industries, growing from
$23.6 billion in 2003 to $30.5 billion in 2006." "U.S. Health care
Providers Plan IT Spending Increase"
by Caroline Broder, iHealthBeat (June 08, 2004)
http://www.ihealthbeat.org/index.cfm?Action=dspItem&itemID=103382

"Healthcare providers will spend as much as $39.5 billion on
information technology by 2008, according to new research by
Datamonitor." (I believe this includes the US and Canada, judging from
the title of the report.)

"Report: Healthcare IT spending to grow to $39.5 billion by 2008" By 
Bernie Monegain, Healthcare IT News (01/06/06)

Search terms:  "healthcare IT" spending; healthcare "information
technology" spending

Above and beyond.  The growth numbers are very helpful.  Good job.  Thanks, JPR