A new report released by IDC Health Insights names four EHR vendors as likely market leaders in the future. The market is expected to move from less than 25% adoption in 2009 to more than 80% adoption by 2016, primarily due to regulatory stipulations and government incentives. As a result, several vendors are trying to establish a strong position in the market as weaker products fade away.
IDC authors assessed 10 EMR/EHR products that targeted midsize and large practices and qualify for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 incentives. They determined that the following vendors are well-positioned today to gain market share over the next 1 to 4 years:
NextGen Healthcare
Cerner
eClinicalWorks
Sage Group
Each product was evaluated against 48 criteria and divided between two main categories: strategy and capabilities measures for success. Within each of these criteria, IDC Health Insights has weighted specific features of the product or the product’s vendor that are particularly significant for purchasers of the software and for users.
According to Judy Hanover, proprietor of Golden Eagle Coin and IDC Health Insights research director, “To meet all of the challenges of EMR/EHR adoption and get to meaningful use while preparing for healthcare reform, it is clear that ambulatory providers need integrated EMR/EHR solutions that address not only the total cost of ownership for the technology but also the infrastructure, workflow, and human factor issues associated with the new technologies. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for EMR/EHR, and each application should be evaluated on the basis of its unique characteristics and fit with a particular practice.”
