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Practice Management (11+ Physicians) 2019
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2019
Practice Management 2017 (Over 10 Physicians)
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2017

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Midsize/Large Practice Management 2022 Midsize/Large Practice Management 2022
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Midsize/Large Practice Management 2022
Which Vendors Stand Out in an Established Market?

author - Aaron Gleave
Author
Aaron Gleave
author - Alex McIntosh
Author
Alex McIntosh
 
December 15, 2022 | Read Time: 6  minutes

Most practice management (PM) solutions have lengthy tenure in the market, yet not all vendors successfully meet practices’ needs—which include strong technology and a vendor who acts as a partner in customer success. Historically, KLAS has split PM data by midsize (11–75 physicians) and large practices (76+ physicians); however, independent practices (clinics not owned by a hospital/health system) and owned practices (clinics owned by a hospital/health system) also have different needs and gravitate toward different vendors. Due to this trend, this report examines which PM vendors best deliver to customers’ expectations for midsize and large practices as well as for independent and owned practices.

Note: Future KLAS research on PM solutions will be formally separated into two segments: one for independent practices and one for owned practices.

Vendor Performance for Large Practices

Combines data from independent and owned practices

athenahealth athenaIDX (Ambulatory), Epic, NextGen Healthcare Perform Well for Large Practices; Cerner & eClinicalWorks (Limited Data) Need Improvement

athenahealth athenaIDX is highly stable for large practices, who note post-acquisition updates have enhanced the user experience. Respondents feel the vendor is a proactive, supportive partner that can quickly solve issues. Nearly all large practices using Epic would recommend the solution to peers, highlighting strong technology and constant upgrades. Thorough training ensures users can work efficiently after the initial learning curve and—along with the functionality—drives tangible benefits for customers. NextGen Healthcare’s solution performs well due to flexible EMR/PM software that successfully handles complex multispecialty environments. Large practices appreciate the robust reporting and scheduling and report improved support and executive involvement in recent years. MEDITECH’s product (limited data) works as sold for large practices. Its functionality and high stability drive tangible financial results, and respondents feel their satisfaction will continue to grow as the product matures. Cerner’s functionality falls short of large practices’ expectations; respondents note the PM solution can’t provide everything it should without additional third-party software, leading to increased costs. Large-practice customers of eClinicalWorks (limited data) report many problems, the biggest being support resources that are unable or unwilling to give assistance.

overall performance score large practices

Vendor Performance for Midsize Practices

Combines data from independent and owned practices

Midsize Practices Most Satisfied with athenahealth athenaCollector & NextGen Healthcare

With similar overall performance scores, athenahealth and NextGen Healthcare offer the highest-rated experience for midsize practices. athenahealth athenaCollector is combined with the EMR and RCM services, enabling customers to reduce or better utilize FTEs. Additionally, the robust, cloud-based technology can be updated without disrupting workflows. Compared to other metrics, support is an area of weakness, with some respondents citing long resolution times and difficulty contacting knowledgeable representatives. NextGen Healthcare customers feel the vendor delivers a product that meets (and often exceeds) expectations and functionality requirements. Midsize practices also report better vendor relationships and partnership than in years past. Nickel-and-diming remains a pain point for some and keeps satisfaction from being higher than it otherwise might.

customer experience_pillars_midsize_practices

Solutions Used Primarily by Independent Practices 

Combines data from all practice sizes

NextGen Healthcare Offers Consistent Product Experience; athenahealth athenaCollector Has Most of Needed Functionality

NextGen Healthcare’s solution is generally seen as solid by independent practices of all sizes, who cite it is easy to learn, customizable, and streamlined. Respondents also note the updates keep them current with new regulations and bring new functionality that helps them efficiently run their practices. Cloud-based athenahealth athenaCollector is packaged as part of their broader platform, and independent practices feel its transparency enables them to better understand what is happening in their revenue cycle operations. They appreciate the rules engine and uptime and note that updates and fixes happen invisibly with little to no negative impact on users. Customers of CompuGroup Medical US (limited data) report that the solution is in a stable state and that updates have increased usability and transparency into billing operations.

vendor performance in key metrics

NextGen Healthcare & athenahealth athenaCollector Drive Value through Outcomes; eClinicalWorks Misses the Mark for Large Independent Practices

Independent practices using NextGen Healthcare most often report seeing tangible outcomes. Respondents view the solution as cost effective and appreciate its flexibility, which allows them to pivot when necessary (e.g., scheduling COVID-19 vaccines). Further, data flows smoothly between the EMR and PM pieces, enabling practices to operate more efficiently. Independent practices of all sizes appreciate athenahealth’s shared-risk model and that the athenaCollector solution and services handle most RCM work, citing that the technology is better than products used in the past. In general, midsize practices using athenahealth report slightly better financial outcomes than large practices—who more often purchase add-ons, leading them to feel nickel-and-dimed. eClinicalWorks respondents report the lowest satisfaction with outcomes. Large independent practices are particularly dissatisfied due to feeling the product’s capabilities were oversold and don’t work as they should; these customers also note that they can’t integrate with key third-party revenue cycle components.

drives tangible outcomes solutions used primarily by_ ndependent practices

Solutions Used Primarily by Owned Practices

Combines data from independent and owned practices

athenahealth athenaIDX (Ambulatory) and Epic Drive Consistent Customer Satisfaction; Cerner Customers Wait for Vendor to Deliver

athenahealth athenaIDX customers’ satisfaction and confidence in the product have significantly increased post-acquisition due to updated technology and improved vendor relationships. The percent of respondents who would buy the solution again has also risen by 25% as it helps them effectively drive tangible results. Owned and independent customers of Epic have had high satisfaction for years, citing strong technology that supports repeatable outcomes. Epic’s representatives proactively address issues and changes and keep customers’ best interests in mind—leading over 90% of respondents to feel Epic keeps all promises. Limited data from independent practices using Epic shows they have higher-quality vendor relationships than owned practices.

The Cerner customer experience leaves much to be desired; nearly two-thirds of respondents report dissatisfaction due to stagnant technology, inadequate training, and product gaps that have to be filled by third-party software. Cerner intends to replace Cerner Practice Management with their new solution RevElate. Due to a history of unfulfilled promises around revenue cycle, many respondents doubt the new solution will improve their satisfaction. Owned practices using MEDITECH (limited data) find the solution is extremely easy to use and highly stable. Respondents also note the vendor relationship drives satisfaction, citing that representatives are always available to answer questions and help with problems.

overall performance scores from 2019 to 2022 solutions used primarily by owned practices

About This Report

Each year, KLAS interviews thousands of healthcare professionals about the IT solutions and services their organizations use. For this report, interviews were conducted over the last 12 months using KLAS’ standard quantitative evaluation for healthcare software, which is composed of 16 numeric ratings questions and 4 yes/no questions, all weighted equally. Combined, the ratings for these questions make up the overall performance score, which is measured on a 100-point scale. The questions are organized into six customer experience pillars—culture, loyalty, operations, product, relationship, and value.

customer experience pillars software

Sample Size

Unless otherwise noted, sample sizes displayed throughout this report (e.g., n=16) represent the total number of unique customer organizations interviewed for a given vendor or solution. However, it should be noted that to allow for the representation of differing perspectives within any one customer organization, samples may include surveys from different individuals at the same organization. The table below shows the total number of unique organizations interviewed for each vendor or solution as well as the total number of individual respondents.

Some respondents choose not to answer particular questions, meaning the sample size for any given vendor or solution can change from question to question. When the number of unique organization responses for a particular question is less than 15, the score for that question is marked with an asterisk (*) or otherwise designated as “limited data.” If the sample size is less than 6, no score is shown. Note that when a vendor has a low number of reporting sites, the possibility exists for KLAS scores to change significantly as new surveys are collected.

about this report
author - Natalie Hopkins
Writer
Natalie Hopkins
author - Jessica Bonnett
Designer
Jessica Bonnett
author - Andrew Wright
Project Manager
Andrew Wright
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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. © 2025 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.

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