KLAS' survey grades 10 cardiology IT vendors

A single cardiology vendor can’t provide the integration across a platform that providers desire, with some vendors offering better modules than functionality and vice versa. However, some vendors do stand above the rest, according to an October performance report published by market researcher KLAS.

“For 10 years, cardiology vendors have been making the same promises--integration, modules to cover every area that are actually functional and improve patient care as a result,” wrote report author Monique Rasband. “Ten years later, no vendor can claim they have gotten there. Such is the story of cardiology IT.”

KLAS graded ten cardiology IT vendors, splitting them into three performance tiers according to their scores in surveys of and evaluations by approximately 570 providers who rated functional strengths of adopted modules. McKesson, Merge Healthcare, Philips Healthcare and Siemens Healthcare came out on top; Digisonics, Lumedx and ScImage filled out the second tier; and Agfa HealthCare, Fujifilm Medical Systems and GE Healthcare trailed behind.

McKesson, Merge, Philips and Siemens modules were more widely adopted and the vendors were perceived to be further along on the path to full integration and meaningful functionalities,  according to Rasband. While some are optimistic for recently released versions and platforms, “cardiology vendors are still struggling to deliver all of what providers want.”