Choosing Between Functionality and Integration in Emergency Department Software

    OREM, UT, December 21, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- An increasing number of hospitals are replacing standalone, best-of-breed emergency department software with enterprise solutions that foster better integration - but many of those enterprise solutions are leaving ED clinicians far less satisfied, according to a KLAS report.

The new report, "Emergency Department Information Systems: Is Best of Breed Still the Best Approach?", highlights the opinions of more than 500 providers and includes performance ratings for 18 emergency department information system (EDIS) solutions. Among several key findings, the report notes that for study respondents who are planning to replace or buy an EDIS, 72 percent are leaving a best-of-breed product in favor of an enterprise offering. Yet at the same time, ED customers of enterprise venders Cerner, Eclipsys, McKesson and MEDITECH also have some of the highest levels of buyer's remorse.

"With the exception of Epic, EDIS solutions from the large enterprise vendors consistently score well below the KLAS average for software satisfaction - while five of the top six rated offerings are best-of-breed products," said Steve VanWagenen, KLAS clinical research director and author of the ED study. "That gap underscores the challenge many CIOs face in choosing between an ED solution that's an extension of the EMR versus a product more tailored to the needs of clinicians."

Much of the dissatisfaction with enterprise ED solutions comes from a perceived lack of functionality. Clinicians at provider organizations that have moved to Cerner, Eclipsys, McKesson or MEDITECH often report less-intuitive and less-efficient clinical functionality in those four vendor products.

Still, despite clinician concerns, the KLAS report finds that the percentage of providers planning to leave their best-of-breed vendor is two and a half times higher than it was in 2005. In addition, thanks to the tighter integration between the ED and other modules made possible by enterprise solutions, IT professionals scored enterprise solutions significantly higher than did clinical users. The only exception was McKesson, which scored below average with both groups but actually higher with clinicians.

Of the vendor products included in the KLAS report, Wellsoft EDIS was the top-rated product - a position it has held in the last three KLAS ED performance studies - with a score of 89.9 out of 100. Wellsoft was followed by Epic ASAP ED (86.5), and Allscripts ED and MEDHOST EDMS (both at 85.3). Other vendors rated in the report include Cerner, CMR, Eclipsys, EDIMS, Emergisoft, EmpowER, LOGICARE, McKesson, MEDITECH (two products), PCTS, Picis, Poseidon Group and T-System.

To learn more about the EDIS market, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of participating vendors, the report "Emergency Department Information Systems: Is Best of Breed Still the Best Approach?" is available to healthcare providers online for a significant discount off the standard retail price. To purchase the full report, healthcare providers and vendors can visit www.KLASresearch.com/reports.

About KLAS

KLAS is a research firm specializing in monitoring and reporting the performance of healthcare vendors. KLAS' mission is to improve delivery, by independently measuring vendor performance for the benefit of our healthcare provider partners, consultants, investors and vendors. Working together with executives from more than 4,500 hospitals and over 2,500 clinics, KLAS delivers timely reports, trends and statistics, which provide a solid overview of vendor performance in the industry. KLAS measures the performance of software, professional services and medical equipment vendors. For more information, go to www.KLASresearch.com, email [email protected] or call 1-800-920-4109 to speak with a KLAS representative.

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