17 Leading EHR Vendors
Electronic Health Records can help healthcare providers in the delivery and management of care to patients, including those with chronic conditions. The systems can also bolster decision making by providing clinicians with more comprehensive patient data, as well as help eliminate medical errors and reduce costs associated with unnecessary or redundant tests. Health care providers can access real-time clinical information, such as immediate access to test results, which allows them to initiate a
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Products: For doctors' offices: Allscripts Enterprise EHR, Allscripts Professional EHR, Allscripts MyWay. For hospitals: Sunrise Clinical Manager. For hospital-employed physician practices: Sunrise Ambulatory Care.
The Basics: Allscripts' electronic health record (EHR) products can be run on premises, which requires onsite IT support, or via a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, which does not. They work on almost any device, including desktops, laptops, tablets and the iPad. Allscripts Remote and Sunrise Mobile MD provide access via a variety of smartphones.
The products use Windows and Microsoft SQL Server. They are scalable and can be used by solo doctors' practices all the way up to entire hospital systems. Pricing varies according to the product and how it is implemented.
Multiple levels of security -- similar to those used to guard credit card transactions -- protect patient data. Because data is stored on servers in a secure location, if a physician's computer or phone is stolen, the patient data is still safe.
Allscripts merged with Eclipsys in September. The combined company serves 180,000 doctors, 1,500 hospitals and 10,000 post acute care organizations.
Value To Doctors: Some of Allscripts' products are designed to not require customization, but others can be tailored to meet the needs of a particular organization. Allscripts has a self-service portal that allows patients to obtain their health records. All of Allscripts' solutions support e-prescribing.
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Products: For doctors' offices: Centricity Electronic Medical Record, Centricity Practice Solution (integrated EMR and practice management), Centricity Advance (integrated Web-based EMR, practice management and patient portal). For hospitals and associated clinics: GE Centricity Enterprise.
The Basics: GE Healthcare's products for doctors' offices work on desktops, laptops or tablets. They can also be accessed via a Web browser on mobile devices including iPad and iPhones. Centricity Practice Solution and Centricity EMR, which can support practices with more than 200 providers, can be hosted by the physicians' practice. Centricity EMR is also available in a hosted model. Centricity Advance, designed for small practices, is built on a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model. The solutions work with Microsoft Windows and SQL Server or Oracle databases. Pricing for the Web-based EMR solution starts at $275 per month per provider.
Centricity Enterprise, for hospitals, can be deployed various ways, depending on the customer's level of internal IT support. A hospital can run Centricity Enterprise from its own data center or as an application service provider (ASP) solution. The product is device independent, so a hospital can use a mix of desktops, notebooks, tablets or other devices. Centricity Enterprise Mobile runs on Windows Mobile. It shares data with external and departmental systems. Pricing for Centricity Enterprise varies depending on the scope of the system.
Value To Doctors: GE Healthcare's EMR solutions are designed to let doctors spend less time tracking down lost charts and calling for lab results, and more time with patients, said the company. They offer an intuitive design and flexible, customizable workflow. The EMRs allow doctors to prescribe electronically and offer electronic notification of renewal requests and alerts about drug interactions and allergies. The systems are designed for secure electronic transactions. GE Healthcare hosts solutions in secure, advanced data centers.
GE Centricity Enterprise comes with tools to customize the content and format of screens and the workflow, improving efficiency and productivity. For example, screens can be pre-populated with patient data. The comprehensive medical record gives all members of the care team the access they need, said GE.
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Product: eClinicalWorks Comprehensive EHR Solution with Unified Practice Management
The Basics: EClinicalWorks is an electronic health record (EHR) solution for doctors' offices that runs on desktops, laptops and tablets. It can also run on any smartphone with a Web browser using eClinicalMobile, which is designed for quick, secure viewing on a small screen. The iPad can run either version. EClinicalWorks uses a Web-based architecture that can run on any current Web browser. It can be a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution or locally hosted. It supports several server operating systems: Windows 2003 Server, Windows 2008, Linux Red Hat, and Debian 5.x. It uses Windows for the client operating system. It runs My SQL or Microsoft SQL Server 2005 or 2008. EClinicalWorks can be used by small practices all the way up to major health systems with hundreds of providers.
Prices include a one-time license fee of $10,000 for the first provider and $5,000 for each additional provider, plus monthly fees that range from $200 to $650 for the first provider (some packages have a lower monthly fee for additional providers).
Value To Doctors: EClinicalWorks can be customized at the user, practice or enterprise level to give doctors the health alerts, reminders, templates and workflow they need. It lets doctors do e-prescribing via Surescripts. It includes a patient portal where patients can view their health records. Beyond streamlining doctors' practices, the system lets them do customized studies using individual and group health data from the electronic records.
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Product: Practice Fusion
The Basics: A free ambulatory package, Practice Fusion is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) product that can be used on any device with a Web browser that supports Flash. Versions for the iPad, iPhone, and Android are in the works.
Used by 50,000 medical professionals nationwide, Practice Fusion is best suited for practices of one to 10 providers.
Practice Fusion makes its money by selling ads, though the company said they are discreet and "never interrupt the practitioner's workflow."
Value To Doctors: Practice Fusion is based on "the actual workflow of physician practices," making it intuitive and easy to start using. It takes just a few minutes for medical providers to begin using it. Providers can customize the standard medical history, as well as the charting and e-prescribing functions.
Practice Fusion has developed specialized features to help physicians in more than 30 specialties. These include modified templates, specialized charts, and frequently used ICD-9 codes.
Practice Fusion also has a personal health record system called Patient Fusion, which is integrated into the electronic medical record (EMR) system. It gives patients instant access to their diagnoses, medications, and immunization history.
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Product: NextGen Ambulatory EHR
The Basics: NextGen Ambulatory Electronic Health Record (EHR) works for solo practitioners, multi-specialty healthcare enterprises and all practice sizes in between. It uses the Windows OS and supports the MS-SQL database.
Most practices run the product on locally hosted servers, but NextGen EHR is available through a software-as-a-service (SaaS) subscription model for smaller practices that want to avoid the upfront costs. A monthly subscription costs $599 per provider.
NextGen Ambulatory EHR integrates with a practice management system called NextGen PM. The company also offers several other products to help medical offices streamline their operations. NextGen Mobile works on smartphones and similar devices, including the iPhone, iPad and Blackberry. NextGen's e-prescribing function allows doctors to quickly and accurately send prescriptions to pharmacies and it checks prescriptions for conflicts with patients' current medications and allergies.
Value To Doctors: NextGen said its Ambulatory EHR helps doctors improve their workflow and patient care. Doctors can customize their own workflow while still having patient data stored in a standard format. The product provides alerts to notify doctors of tests that are due, medication errors, and other issues.
NextGen provides specialized templates, tools, and workflow automation for more than two dozen specialties, including audiology, oncology, physical therapy and correctional health. These templates help doctors collect more comprehensive clinical data that can improve patient care, said NextGen.
The mobile features give doctors access to patient data wherever they are. They also help control medical liability costs and increase revenue by helping doctors keep accurate records of decisions they made while away from the office.
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Product: Aprima
The Basics: The Aprima electronic health record (EHR) is a hosted solution, so Aprima stores the software on its servers. Doctors can use it on tablet computers. Pricing varies depending on the features used.
Value To Doctors: Aprima's flexible data entry options let doctors choose how to use the system, so the company said it takes less time for doctors to learn to use it. It also allows doctors to prescribe electronically.
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Product: AthenaClinicals
The Basics: AthenaClinicals is a Web-based electronic health record (EHR) that the company said is "designed to address the limitations of traditional EHRs."
Value To Doctors: AthenaClinicals helps doctors spend less time on paperwork with easy-to-use features such as voice recognition, said Athenahealth.
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Products: Ambulatory EMR/EHR, Acute Care Electronic Medical Record, and others
The Basics: Cerner's Ambulatory electronic medical record/electronic health record (EMR/EHR) is available in a client-hosted framework or via an application service provider (ASP) model, in which Cerner hosts the data at its facility.
Value To Doctors: Cerner's Ambulatory EMR/EHR was created after Cerner studied how medical professionals do their jobs, and it's designed to help them retrieve the clinical data they need as quickly as possible. The solution reduces the amount of time doctors spend completing paperwork, allowing them to work more efficiently. One feature allows doctors to create a medical home for patients with chronic diseases to help manage their care.
Cerner also offers an Acute Care EMR for use in hospital and office settings. It gives secure access to patient information across disciplines, improving both efficiency and patient care.
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Product: CureMD EMR
The Basics: CureMD Electronic Medical Record (EMR) is a Web-based system that can connect with remote offices, labs, and pharmacies. It is available in application service provider (ASP) form or as a client/server application.
Value To Doctors: CureMD said it has a number of features designed to make doctors' work easier. It tracks follow-ups and has a voice recognition feature. It has a patient portal to give patients access to information. And it allows doctors to prescribe electronically.
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Products: Doctations Web App, DocApp Smartphone Application
The Basics: Doctations is a cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) product that can be used by "any computer that can watch a video online," the company said. Apps for the iPhone and iPad are available.
Detailed pricing information is available on DocPatient's Web site. Data is stored on secure servers and is encrypted during transmission.
Value To Doctors: The goal of DocPatient Network is to have doctors spend as much time as possible with patients rather than on paperwork. Doctors can begin with a template from a library and customize it to fit their workflow. They can dictate using integrated speech-to-text software.
The ePrescribing Component checks prescribed medications for conflicts with patients' other medications, allergies or medical conditions. A free patient portal gives patients access to their medical records, and the system can generate automated reminders for patients about appointments and medications.
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Product: EpicCare EMR, EpicCare Inpatient Clinical System, MyChart
The Basics: Epic's software offerings include EpicCare Electronic Medical Record (EMR), which is used by doctors' offices, and the EpicCare Inpatient Clinical System, used by hospitals.
Epic has about 225 customers serving more than 30% of the U.S. population. It invests heavily in research and development. Its clients include multi-hospital organizations, academic facilities, community hospitals, and group practices. Its applications can support large healthcare systems, running 10,000 simultaneous users on a single platform.
Value To Doctors: EpicCare said it can help medical practices reduce costs, including transcription costs and unnecessary tests, and improve patient care by reducing the risk of medication errors. Epic's MyChart gives patients controlled access to their medical records wherever they are. They can view their test results, schedule appointments, exchange messages with providers, and even manage the care of children or elderly parents.
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Product: PrimeSuite
The Basics: PrimeSuite is used by doctors' offices, primarily those with between three and 50 doctors, but also including some with more than 90 providers. Greenway has more than 1,500 customer sites. PrimeSuite runs on Windows laptops and desktops and Apple iPads. It has both an on-premises model and a software-as-a-service (SaaS) version. Technical support is included. Pricing varies.
Value To Doctors: Greenway's patented Template technology helps create "arguably the most customizable and easy-to-use products on the market," according to the company. Users can customize how information is used and shared, and the product is designed so doctors can use it without disrupting their routines.
The company said practices see average revenue increases of tens of thousands of dollars per physician per year when using Greenway's solution. Having information available electronically saves on transcription and other costs.
Doctors can electronically prescribe medication. Depending on what the practice permits, patient data can be made available through a patient portal called PrimePatient.
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Products: Horizon Ambulatory Care, Medisoft Clinical and others
The Basics: Horizon Ambulatory Care is a Web-based solution. Medisoft Clinical is designed for smaller doctors' offices and combines practice management features with an electronic health record (EHR).
Value To Doctors: McKesson said its solutions give doctors quick access to crucial information for treating patients. They let doctors prescribe medication electronically, and they check for conflicts with other drugs or allergies. They can offer doctors a choice of data entry methods and allow for better documentation of patient care.
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Product: iPatientCare EHR
The Basics: IPatientCare is a full-featured electronic health record (EHR) for solo practitioners up through doctors' offices with more than 200 providers and multiple locations.
Value To Doctors: According to Medical Communication Systems, iPatientCare helps doctors streamline their workflow. It works with other systems, including state immunization registries and pharmacies. It even allows patients to enter their own history using a Web-based portal or kiosk.
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Product: Enterprise Medical Record
The Basics: Enterprise Medical Record can be used by hospitals and clinics. It includes patient data such as vital signs, medications, lab results, and reports. Access restrictions keep patient data secure.
Value To Doctors: Enterprise Medical Record allows doctors to see trends in patient data using graphs of results and receive alerts when a patient has an abnormal result. Providers have access to data for appointments anywhere on the continuum of care. Doctors can customize clinical panels to present the information they require for their specialties.
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Product: OpenVista
The Basics: OpenVista is used by hospitals and their affiliated doctors' offices, as well as long-term rehabilitation and psychiatric care facilities. It runs on laptops and desktop clients and can be used by large facilities. Partnerships between Medsphere and other companies allow smaller facilities to run OpenVista as a remotely hosted solution if they don't have enough internal IT staff. It uses one of two databases: InterSystems Cache on Windows or FIS GT.M on Linux. OpenVista is not available as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution, but Medsphere said it likely will be in the future.
OpenVista uses a two-level security system that can be configured to determine, for example, how many failed login attempts a user is allowed before having to contact a staff member to reset it. Sessions are encrypted, and access to certain functions or data can be restricted. Prices are based the number of beds at the hospital and other factors.
Value To Doctors: The OpenVista CareVue electronic medical record (EMR) lets the entire healthcare team update patient data from anywhere in the facility. Using it is intuitive to users who are familiar with Windows programs, said Medsphere. The component-based architecture allows facilities to modify how the parts of OpenVista are arranged to accommodate the needs of different users.
OpenVista includes e-prescribing and makes it easy to print out patient records. The ability to make complete electronic copies will be available next year.
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Product: Intergy EHR
The Basics: Sage Intergy Electronic Health Record (EHR) is used by doctors' offices ranging in size from solo practitioners to 250 physicians. It runs on laptops, desktops, tablets, or iPads. It can be either software as a service (SaaS) or a traditional client/server solution. It runs on Windows and is a .NET application using the Progress database. Data is encrypted for confidentiality. The price of the package varies depending on how many physicians in the practice are using the system, as well as other contract terms. Medical practices do not need their own IT support staff to run it.
Value To Doctors: Sage said its Intergy EHR is designed to match a physician's workflow. Its features can be customized for each doctor. It tracks data for billing and offers reminders to help improve patient care. Doctors can prescribe medications electronically. Patients can get copies of their medical records in several ways other than a printout, including online and via secure messaging.
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Product: Intergy EHR
The Basics: Sage Intergy Electronic Health Record (EHR) is used by doctors' offices ranging in size from solo practitioners to 250 physicians. It runs on laptops, desktops, tablets, or iPads. It can be either software as a service (SaaS) or a traditional client/server solution. It runs on Windows and is a .NET application using the Progress database. Data is encrypted for confidentiality. The price of the package varies depending on how many physicians in the practice are using the system, as well as other contract terms. Medical practices do not need their own IT support staff to run it.
Value To Doctors: Sage said its Intergy EHR is designed to match a physician's workflow. Its features can be customized for each doctor. It tracks data for billing and offers reminders to help improve patient care. Doctors can prescribe medications electronically. Patients can get copies of their medical records in several ways other than a printout, including online and via secure messaging.
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EHR Adoption Crosses 50% Threshold
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Products: For doctors' offices: Allscripts Enterprise EHR, Allscripts Professional EHR, Allscripts MyWay. For hospitals: Sunrise Clinical Manager. For hospital-employed physician practices: Sunrise Ambulatory Care.
The Basics: Allscripts' electronic health record (EHR) products can be run on premises, which requires onsite IT support, or via a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, which does not. They work on almost any device, including desktops, laptops, tablets and the iPad. Allscripts Remote and Sunrise Mobile MD provide access via a variety of smartphones.
The products use Windows and Microsoft SQL Server. They are scalable and can be used by solo doctors' practices all the way up to entire hospital systems. Pricing varies according to the product and how it is implemented.
Multiple levels of security -- similar to those used to guard credit card transactions -- protect patient data. Because data is stored on servers in a secure location, if a physician's computer or phone is stolen, the patient data is still safe.
Allscripts merged with Eclipsys in September. The combined company serves 180,000 doctors, 1,500 hospitals and 10,000 post acute care organizations.
Value To Doctors: Some of Allscripts' products are designed to not require customization, but others can be tailored to meet the needs of a particular organization. Allscripts has a self-service portal that allows patients to obtain their health records. All of Allscripts' solutions support e-prescribing.
SEE ALSO:
EHR Adoption Crosses 50% Threshold
First EHR Products Certified For Meaningful Use
Health Execs Laud EHRs For Boosting Care
Doctors Shun EHRs For Patient Referrals
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