KLAS: One-third of EMR purchases are to replace existing systems

Nearly a third of providers planning an EMR purchase are replacing an existing program, according to a new report from healthcare research firm KLAS. When it comes to choosing an EMR, physician practices are considering an ever-increasing number of software vendors, KLAS found.

Half the providers planning a switch are doing so because their current EMR lacks functionality or certification, added KLAS, of Orem, Utah.

To discover which EMR vendors are making the short list, KLAS interviewed more than 370 healthcare providers who plan to choose an EMR in the next two years.

According to KLAS, providers are increasing, not reducing, their pool of considered vendors, including lesser-known options. This is especially true for small practices with one to five physicians, where 72 percent are considering solutions outside the best-known vendors and, similarly, larger practices are also considering vendors that have traditionally serviced smaller organizations, stated KLAS.

The ambulatory EMR vendors under consideration varies significantly depending on practice size. However, according to KLAS, some overall trends were evident: Allscripts EMR products are being collectively considered in 35 percent of purchase decisions. Allscripts was followed by NextGen Healthcare (considered in 32 percent of planned purchases) and eClinicalWorks (29 percent).

Other vendors highlighted in the report include athenahealth, Cerner, e-MDs, Eclipsys, Epic, GE Healthcare, Greenway, McKesson and Sage Software, according to KLAS. 

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