Recent research reveals new trends among EHR buying. Take a look at the data on top EHR buyer trends of 2014 provided by Softwareadvice.com. #EHRtrends2014
Key findings when analyzing 385 interactions with EHR buyers reveal their primary reasons for evaluating new software, and their most desired features and applications, include:
- Mobile support topped the list of desired capabilities, with 40% of the buyers requesting this feature, followed by e-prescribing (24%) and lab integration (20%)
- 85% of buyers overwhelmingly prefer a web-based over an on-premise system
- The majority of buyers (89%) aren seeking an integrated system, that includes applications such as billing or scheduling
AzaleaHealth is certainly at the cutting edge in addressing buyers’ needs. Azalea Health enhances the workflow of your practice, giving you the power to connect the medical side with the financial side. It is a true cloud-based solution so you don’t have to worry about maintaining servers and software. We take care of it. The fully integrated solution enables physician and specialty practices to afford a sophisticated technology that meets all their practice management needs at a fraction of the complexity and cost. #azaleahealthEHR
Azalea Health’s integrated EHR and billing solution has the flexibility to accommodate multiple specialties of any size practice. The company provides Electronic Health Records (EHR), Practice Management (PM), Revenue Cycle Management Services (RCM), mhealth app, and a Patient Health Records Portal.
Recently the company announced its merger with EHR provider, simplifyMD. The merged company, with their combined skills and products, will be able to offer expanded services and product options, as well as the tools and resources to help customers with meeting their Meaningful Use and ICD-10 requirements. The company will continue to be dedicated to simplifying the life of physicians and administrators byproviding a complete solution that is easy to implement and use. #azaleahealthmerger
Implications for EHR Vendors
Mobile support topped the list of requested EHR features, with nearly 40 percent of buyers in our sample requesting support for tablets and/or smartphones. With practices increasingly integrating mobile devices into their charting workflows, mobile support will be a key determinant in EHR purchasing decisions for buyers in 2014. Products that offer mobile applications will be well positioned to win business this year.
Vendors should also highlight their products’ meaningful use-mandated elements; e-prescribing and lab integration ranked highly on the list of requested features, thanks in no small part to their inclusion in MU requirement criteria.
Additionally, integrated suites are the future of EHRs. Nearly 90 percent of buyers explicitly requested to evaluate a system that integrates EHR with other applications (such as billing and scheduling). With nearly a quarter of the buyers replacing existing EHR solutions doing so because of a lack of integration, it seems the days of the standalone EHR are numbered.
Implications for EHR Buyers
Most of the buyers in our sample wanted to implement their new EHR software within three months. However, the climbing percentage of buyers replacing existing systems due to dissatisfaction suggests buyers would be well served by dedicating as much time as needed to the evaluation process.
Researcher Commentary
“We’re seeing significant demand for mobile solutions that allow users to access the EHR on tablets, or even on smartphones while on-the-go. Mobile devices are increasingly being integrated into practices’ workflows, and buyers need solutions that facilitate the efficiency those mobile devices can offer.”
“The percentage of buyers replacing existing implementations continues to rise. With so many buyers beginning their research with rapid-fire implementation timelines, I expect that proportion to continue growing. My advice to buyers is this: don’t impose a hard deadline on your evaluation process. Find a system that truly addresses your needs before making a purchase, rather than adopting a system and attempting to make it suit your purposes once in place.”
Methodology
Software Advice regularly speaks on the phone with medical practices seeking new EHR software. For this analysis, we randomly selected 385 of our phone interactions from Q1 2014 to analyze. Buyers were asked about their reasons for evaluating systems, the most critical features required and deployment preferences, among other criteria.
Emily King
Media Relations
Medical Document Services of Kansas, LLC (MDS) is a Wichita, Kansas healthcare document service specializing in Medical Billing and RCM, Medical Transcription, and AzaleaHealth EHR. We provide efficient, accurate, affordable quality services for hospitals, clinics, and facilities of all sizes. Call 
866-777-7264 today, or visit our website for more information. We have education programs in Medical Scribe Specialists and Healthcare Documentation Specialists. #medicaltranscription #azaleahealthEHR #revenuecyclemanagement