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Pediatrics 2023 Pediatrics 2023
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Pediatrics 2023
Provider Perceptions of an Evolving Market

author - Paul Hess
Author
Paul Hess
author - Alex McIntosh
Author
Alex McIntosh
 
July 11, 2023 | Read Time: 3  minutes

The landscape of pediatric healthcare has shifted in recent years. Grappling with changes in the labor market, many pediatric organizations are seeking out a simplified IT approach that enhances patient care and bolsters efficiency. Some organizations have started to consolidate or have already consolidated their technology stack to fewer vendors, with many leveraging more functionality from their core EHR vendors. For this report, KLAS talked to 57 organizations using pediatric EHR/PM systems to gauge their perceptions on the impact of staffing shortages, which technology is best suited to help, and what developments they would like moving forward. A follow-up report will examine the performance of pediatric EHR/PM vendors within this evolving market.

Amid Staffing Shortages, Pediatric Organizations Look to Their Core EHR Vendors for Increased Efficiencies

Staffing shortages have caused significant disruption, with over two-thirds of interviewed pediatric practices reporting a moderate to severe impact. While over half now operate with staff levels equal to what they were before the COVID-19 pandemic, respondents also experience higher turnover and, as a result, less efficiency and expertise among staff than prepandemic. Offices that haven’t returned to prepandemic levels still feel a burden of increased responsibility for staff, leading to decreased job satisfaction and eventual burnout. These understaffed organizations also report neglected or often-incomplete nonpriority tasks, limited schedule availability, and billing delays. Additionally, rising inflation has prompted remaining staff to demand higher pay, while medical reimbursements still lag behind. Pediatric organizations report that their core EHR vendor has the most impact on their ability to overcome these staffing challenges.

impact of staffing shortages on pedatric practices

Many Pediatric Organizations Placing Emphasis on Vendor Consolidation

On average, interviewed pediatric organizations rely on three different HIT vendors, with some using up to six. In the past year, a quarter of respondents have expanded their practices by bringing on additional specialists (mainly for behavioral health or dental/orthodontics), a move that has often required additional technology solutions. Respondents generally feel this increase in vendors leads to inefficiencies and complications. Those with more vendors emphasize the urgency of consolidation to streamline operations. Over half of interviewed organizations are looking to their core EHR/PM vendor to simplify their workflow and minimize vendor complexity through additional functionality and integration. Provider organizations that don’t fully trust their EHR vendors are not planning on replacing their third-party solutions.

importance of vendor consolidation do you plan to replace third party solutions with solutions from your ehr vendor if when they become available in the past year has your practice begun to bring in specialists to offer additional pediatric treatments

A Wide Range of Third-Party Vendors Making an Impact on Staffing Challenges

While vendor consolidation is often preferable as an overall strategy, pediatric organizations still utilize many third-party vendors to fulfill specific needs better or more cost effectively than their EHR vendor can. Respondents mention vendors with a wide array of solutions (from front door to back-office systems) that help reduce the impact of staffing shortages, including Azara Healthcare, ClearTriage, Doxy.me, Full Slate, GoCheck Kids, Intelichart, Microsoft, Nuance, OSIS, Phreesia, Quickbooks, TeleVox, and Yosi Health.

current or imminent concerns that pediatric organizations want HIT vendors to develop solutions for

Despite the number of vendors in place, pediatric organizations are still looking to HIT vendors to solve a number of problems to make their lives easier, help them deliver better care, reduce burnout, increase practice efficiency, and improve the quality of life for both patients and providers.


About This Report

This report is a perception study. It is designed to help readers understand what is top of mind for users of pediatric EHR/PM solutions, and it examines which vendors and services firms these organizations are currently using or are considering using to help implement, monitor, and improve overall practice challenges.

KLAS created a supplemental evaluation to delve deeper into several questions specific to the pediatric EHR market. This evaluation asked respondents the following:

  1. How have staffing shortages affected your practice?
  2. What percentage of staff are you operating with now compared to before the pandemic?
  3. What HIT solutions are having the largest positive impact on your practice’s ability to meet staffing challenges?
  4. How many HIT vendors does your practice use to run day-to-day operations?
  5. How important is it to consolidate your software vendors (mental health, telehealth, portal, etc.)?
  6. Do you plan on replacing third-party solutions with solutions from your EHR vendor if/when they become available?
  7. What problems are you facing or will you face in the near future that you would like HIT vendors to develop solutions to solve?
  8. In the past year, has your practice begun to bring in specialists to offer additional pediatric treatments?


author - Carlisa Cramer
Writer
Carlisa Cramer
author - Bronson Allgood
Designer
Bronson Allgood
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.