KLAS: Paper-based community hospitals going the way of dinosaurs
The community hospital that still relies exclusively on a paper medical record is rapidly moving toward extinction, according to a report from healthcare researcher KLAS.
Larger hospitals and integrated delivery networks (IDNs) have led the adoption of EMR technologies over the past several years, but many vendors now see the community hospital space as providing an opportunity for market share growth, the Orem, Utah-based KLAS stated.
Based on a survey of 3,675 hospitals with less than 200 beds, KLAS found that community hospitals—now motivated by meaningful use and its associated financial incentives—have awakened to the reality that clinical information technology is not only within their reach but may be fundamental to their sustainability. Where clinicians previously may have had exposure only to order entry and results, today the physician/clinician workflow is becoming increasingly dependent on technology.
As a result, community EMR sales exploded in 2010. Over half of community providers (52 percent) contracting with a clinical information system (CIS) were those with no prior CIS, while another 36 percent came from providers deciding to purchase a different vendor after leaving their legacy system or affiliating with an IDN.
According to KLAS estimates, approximately 300 to 500 U.S. hospitals have yet to commit to a CIS vendor as of the start of 2011. Meditech and McKesson Horizon lost more clients in 2010 than any other vendor in the report, particularly to Epic, Cerner and HMS.
KLAS anticipated that the number of community hospitals that have yet to contract for any component of a CIS (currently an estimated 8 to 14 percent of the market) will continue to steeply decline over the next few years as preparations for ICD-10, meaningful use (MU), accountable care organization, value-based purchasing and data exchanges more directly fuel an organization’s requirements to automate.
“The assumption is that MU will drive hospitals to clinical adoption for all but the least progressive or solvent of organizations. But organizations will remain sensitive to the impact of technology to the clinician workflow,” the report concluded. “Where clinicians previously may have had exposure only to order entry and results, today the physician and clinician workflow and resultant patient care are becoming increasingly dependent on technology.”
Larger hospitals and integrated delivery networks (IDNs) have led the adoption of EMR technologies over the past several years, but many vendors now see the community hospital space as providing an opportunity for market share growth, the Orem, Utah-based KLAS stated.
Based on a survey of 3,675 hospitals with less than 200 beds, KLAS found that community hospitals—now motivated by meaningful use and its associated financial incentives—have awakened to the reality that clinical information technology is not only within their reach but may be fundamental to their sustainability. Where clinicians previously may have had exposure only to order entry and results, today the physician/clinician workflow is becoming increasingly dependent on technology.
As a result, community EMR sales exploded in 2010. Over half of community providers (52 percent) contracting with a clinical information system (CIS) were those with no prior CIS, while another 36 percent came from providers deciding to purchase a different vendor after leaving their legacy system or affiliating with an IDN.
According to KLAS estimates, approximately 300 to 500 U.S. hospitals have yet to commit to a CIS vendor as of the start of 2011. Meditech and McKesson Horizon lost more clients in 2010 than any other vendor in the report, particularly to Epic, Cerner and HMS.
KLAS anticipated that the number of community hospitals that have yet to contract for any component of a CIS (currently an estimated 8 to 14 percent of the market) will continue to steeply decline over the next few years as preparations for ICD-10, meaningful use (MU), accountable care organization, value-based purchasing and data exchanges more directly fuel an organization’s requirements to automate.
“The assumption is that MU will drive hospitals to clinical adoption for all but the least progressive or solvent of organizations. But organizations will remain sensitive to the impact of technology to the clinician workflow,” the report concluded. “Where clinicians previously may have had exposure only to order entry and results, today the physician and clinician workflow and resultant patient care are becoming increasingly dependent on technology.”