KLAS: Integration with EMR gives L&D vendors an edge
A vendor’s ability to integrate labor and delivery (L&D) to the EMR, to tailor the system to the needs of the facility and to provide quality support are what set a tool apart from the rest of the pack, according to a report from the research firm KLAS.
Energy in the healthcare industry has increased significantly in the two years since the 2008 KLAS L&D report where the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) and its accompanying incentives have brought more focus on clinician adoption and made integration more of a necessity than a preference in technology purchasing decisions, according to the Orem, Utah-based KLAS.
“Integration was once merely included on a wish list for providers’ L&D systems, but providers are feeling an urgency to break the data barriers between L&D and other hospital systems,” stated the report. While all vendors have made progress in interfaces to lab, pharmacy and other ancillary systems, these basic interfaces no longer satisfy most providers’ needs. Providers want an L&D system that will exchange data directly with their core EMR, the report found. A majority of hospitals are planning to keep their L&D system for at least the next two years, but 69 percent of those planning to replace their system are looking for an integrated product.
In addition, the report stated most hospitals would like to be able to customize their software to their hospital’s specific L&D needs. Each L&D system offers a different level of customizability, but designing and supporting a highly customizable system requires significant time, ongoing IT support and often additional costs. Out-of-the-box products offer a simpler approach that can be implemented and maintained more easily with fewer IT resources, but they also offer less flexibility in adapting the system to the department’s needs once users become more familiar with the system.
Even though each vendor offered a unique set of functionality strengths and weaknesses, most L&D products are fairly comparable when it comes to central surveillance, alerts, fetal strip archiving and retrieval, KLAS reported. Support and proactive service often become differentiators in overall performance scores when product offerings are similar. Until a tool distinguishes itself in either functionality or integration, quality of support will continue to be a primary factor in determining overall customer satisfaction, the firm added.
In cooperation with the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, KLAS sought to understand how recent changes in the industry have affected the market for L&D systems. More than 250 organizations shared their insight about the L&D market and their experiences with L&D system vendor performance in the report. CCSI Obix Perinatal Data System was the highest ranked L&D system with an overall score of 87.7 out of 100.
Hill-Rom NaviCare WatchChild (82.4) and GE Healthcare's Centricity Perinatal (81.3) were the second and third ranked products, respectively. McKesson Horizon Perinatal Care and Philips Healthcare's OB TraceVue were also ranked in the report, KLAS added.
Energy in the healthcare industry has increased significantly in the two years since the 2008 KLAS L&D report where the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) and its accompanying incentives have brought more focus on clinician adoption and made integration more of a necessity than a preference in technology purchasing decisions, according to the Orem, Utah-based KLAS.
“Integration was once merely included on a wish list for providers’ L&D systems, but providers are feeling an urgency to break the data barriers between L&D and other hospital systems,” stated the report. While all vendors have made progress in interfaces to lab, pharmacy and other ancillary systems, these basic interfaces no longer satisfy most providers’ needs. Providers want an L&D system that will exchange data directly with their core EMR, the report found. A majority of hospitals are planning to keep their L&D system for at least the next two years, but 69 percent of those planning to replace their system are looking for an integrated product.
In addition, the report stated most hospitals would like to be able to customize their software to their hospital’s specific L&D needs. Each L&D system offers a different level of customizability, but designing and supporting a highly customizable system requires significant time, ongoing IT support and often additional costs. Out-of-the-box products offer a simpler approach that can be implemented and maintained more easily with fewer IT resources, but they also offer less flexibility in adapting the system to the department’s needs once users become more familiar with the system.
Even though each vendor offered a unique set of functionality strengths and weaknesses, most L&D products are fairly comparable when it comes to central surveillance, alerts, fetal strip archiving and retrieval, KLAS reported. Support and proactive service often become differentiators in overall performance scores when product offerings are similar. Until a tool distinguishes itself in either functionality or integration, quality of support will continue to be a primary factor in determining overall customer satisfaction, the firm added.
In cooperation with the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, KLAS sought to understand how recent changes in the industry have affected the market for L&D systems. More than 250 organizations shared their insight about the L&D market and their experiences with L&D system vendor performance in the report. CCSI Obix Perinatal Data System was the highest ranked L&D system with an overall score of 87.7 out of 100.
Hill-Rom NaviCare WatchChild (82.4) and GE Healthcare's Centricity Perinatal (81.3) were the second and third ranked products, respectively. McKesson Horizon Perinatal Care and Philips Healthcare's OB TraceVue were also ranked in the report, KLAS added.