Physician practices will move from a 25 percent adoption rate of electronic health record technology in 2009 to more than 80 percent adoption by 2016, according to a new report from IDC Health Insights.
The report provides a guide to help practices assess EHR vendors, and measures 10 products from eight leading vendors that target large and mid-size physician practices. It also offers advice for practices seeing assistance in selecting a vendor, using 48 criteria that measure, among other things:
- The breadth of functionality and usability of different products;
- Vendors' attention to regulatory changes and communication of them to customers;
- Financial stability of vendors;
- Compatibility of products to mobile devices and different delivery models.
IDC Health Insights Research Director Judy Hanover--one of the report's authors--believes that her report provides value to practices as it evaluates each vendor's product based on both "unique characteristics and fit."
"There is no one-size-fits-all solution" for EHRs, Hanover says in a statement.
While the study was not all-inclusive, it did cover vendors with a "significant presence" in the EHR market. Based on its research, eClinical Works, Cerner, Sage and NextGen stood out among the vendors, but the report's authors note that each product has its own strengths. The report also outlined issues that practices should consider before purchasing, such as interactions with existing practice management systems, and best practices for implementation.
To learn more:
- here's the press release