Population Health Management 2015
How Far Can Your Vendor Take You?

1. EPIC AND IBM (PHYTEL) PERFORM WELL FOR MORE COMPLEX EFFORTS OF LARGER PROVIDERS

While most vendors play across the provider landscape, each has a predominant customer profile based on factors such as complexity and level of risk assumed. Enli Health Intelligence, Forward Health, and i2i Systems perform well for meeting the more basic demands of clinics and small hospitals. Cerner, Epic, Healthagen, IBM (Explorys), IBM (Phytel), and Rise Health receive growing praise from larger IDNs.

2. SOLUTIONS FROM EMR VENDORS GAINING TRACTION; CUSTOMERS HUNGRY FOR DEEPER FUNCTIONALITY

Providers express a strong interest in their EMR vendors for PHM functionality. Epic users are pleased with broad functionality while wanting more robust analytics. Cerner is adept at consolidating data from diverse EMRs; users await the filling of the care-management gap. Providers say eClinicalWorks is good at the basics but ask for greater ability to customize for unique needs. athenahealth is adaptable, though integration of external data can be a challenge.

3. SOME LOOKING TO LEAVE: ADVISORY BOARD, ALLSCRIPTS, CONIFER HEALTH, MCKESSON, MEDECISION, OPTUM

Customer reasons for leaving vary from one vendor to the next but include insufficient breadth or depth of functionality (McKesson, Medecision), difficult data acquisition (Advisory Board, Conifer), and lack of usability (Allscripts, Optum). All six vendors have acquired technology through acquisition. After acquisitions, vendors often experience stunted innovation and development, interrupted relationships, and a drag on support quality. Among fully rated vendors, Enli, Epic, and Wellcentive have the most committed customer bases.

4. SERVICE IS CRITICAL MEDICINE FOR MATURING MARKET SEGMENT AND DATA-ACQUISITION PAINS

More than half of customers report challenges around immature, inflexible products. Data access is the only area in which criticism outweighs compliments. The best vendors address both areas with proactive service—a topic that few providers pay attention to during vendor selection.

SELECTION CRITERIA VERSUS REALITY

Designer
Natalie Jamison