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Emerging Acute Care EMRs 2019
Status of New Offerings from athenahealth, eClinicalWorks, Epic, and MEDITECH
Author
Coray Tate
Author
Paul Warburton
Author
Jonathan Christensen
In recent years, athenahealth, eClinicalWorks, Epic, and MEDITECH have all released new acute care EMR platforms. Small and midsize organizations express high interest in these solutions, but adoption and development vary widely, and only athenahealth and MEDITECH currently have live customers. This report provides a snapshot of each solution’s current state and examines how well athenahealth and MEDITECH—the top-performing solutions in the 1–200 bed market—are meeting the needs of various departments and user groups.
Note: Information about more longstanding acute care EMR platforms not covered in this research can be found on the KLAS website.
athenahealth’s Revenue Model Improving Financials; Platform Currently Unavailable for Purchase
athenahealth’s skin-in-the-game business model—i.e., there is no up-front cost, infrastructure costs are low (thanks to the SaaS model), and customers pay an ongoing percentage of collections—is the vendor’s biggest selling point, and almost 70% of interviewed customers report a positive financial impact. 2018 was a tumultuous year for athenahealth due to reorganization and the announcement of ownership changes. Sales of the platform were paused in the fall of 2018, and athenahealth has made no announcement as to when sales will resume. Customers validate that product updates have been made since the pause; some customers are nervous about the limited communication they have received regarding the vendor’s long-term plans.
Half of interviewed customers report slower-than-expected progress in terms of adoption, usability, or functionality. Customers validate significant functionality improvements since the platform was released, including in nursing, pharmacy, and charge capture. Some gaps remain in these areas, and reporting is still a significant pain point. Nine hospitals canceled their contracts in 2018 (and 13 in 2017), some because of these product gaps. Other customers have chosen to delay their go-lives until the issues are further addressed.
Expanse Viewed as Significant Improvement over MEDITECH's Legacy Solutions, Especially for Physicians
Overall, most MEDITECH Expanse customers feel their implementation went well, and they report strong organizational adoption post-implementation. The system is seen as a particular improvement for physicians, who describe improved usability compared to legacy MEDITECH solutions and highlight the physician mobility and workflows. Feedback on the ED workflows has also been especially positive. Because of these wins, customers eagerly anticipate the forthcoming revamped nurse functionality.
Customers say MEDITECH’s transparency regarding costs—including what customers can expect to pay for a third-party implementation firm—has helped their implementations stay on budget. The two interviewed organizations who were not previous MEDITECH customers report unexpected third-party or bolt-on costs. Most customers say that any post-implementation increases in A/R days have been minimal and quickly resolved.
Pared-Down Epic Sonnet Not Compelling to Small Hospitals
Sonnet was first announced by Epic in 2017 as a pared-down version of their full inpatient EMR, but Epic’s public messaging around who it is intended for has not been clear. The common perception in the market is that this modified version of EpicCare Inpatient EMR is targeted toward small hospitals, but this is not the case. Sonnet is intended to give midsize to large organizations that may not need or cannot currently afford Epic’s full feature set a way to get started with Epic with the intention that the organization will eventually grow into the full feature set. The only currently contracted customer—a three-hospital system that includes one 572-bed facility—is scheduled to go live in the summer of 2019. Almost all large and midsize hospitals that choose Epic opt for the full EMR. The option for small hospitals (less than 200 beds) is still Community Connect. To date, there is no option that gives smaller hospitals a direct Epic relationship.
eClinicalWorks Hospital Go-Lives Continue to Be Delayed;Â No Customers Currently Live
The initial high interest hospital organizations expressed in eClinicalWorks has since turned to uncertainty. No contracted customers have yet gone live, and their go-live dates continue to be pushed. This lack of progress leaves prospective customers with no reference points, leading them to choose other solutions. The platform’s first customer—a two-hospital organization—initially signed a contract in 2015 but has since chosen to move forward with a different vendor. The platform is expected to be fully web enabled and to incorporate advanced technologies—such as voice dictation—to save the cost of third-party add-ons. Organizations report that eClinicalWorks offers a percent-of-sales revenue model or a flat per-bed monthly fee.
Writer
Elizabeth Pew
Designer
Natalie Jamison
Project Manager
Sydney Toomer
This material is copyrighted. Any organization gaining unauthorized access to this report will be liable to compensate KLAS for the full retail price. Please see the KLAS DATA USE POLICY for information regarding use of this report. © 2024 KLAS Research, LLC. All Rights Reserved. NOTE: Performance scores may change significantly when including newly interviewed provider organizations, especially when added to a smaller sample size like in emerging markets with a small number of live clients. The findings presented are not meant to be conclusive data for an entire client base.