The purchase of electronic medical record (EMR) systems by hospitals in Canada and the U.S. nearly doubled in 2009 from a dismal year in 2008, according to a newly published report from market research firm KLAS of Orem, UT.
The report attributed the rebound from a seven-year low in 2008 to the Obama administration's focus on U.S. hospitals adopting EHR technology. KLAS collected data from more than 1,600 hospitals with more than 200 beds in Canada and the U.S. for the report.
Integration, clinical adoption, and reliability were three prominent provider concerns, according to the report. Organizations reported that they wanted an integrated system that clinicians would actually use, and they wanted a vendor who would be a consistent and reliable partner to help them achieve "meaningful use" criteria defined by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Nearly 70% of new hospital purchases in 2009 were integrated solutions from Cerner of Kansas City, MO, or Epic Systems of Verona, WI, according to Jason Hess, the report's author.
Related Reading
KLAS: RIS purchases are priorities for hospitals, September 9, 2010
Report: U.S. hospitals lag in CPOE adoption, June 22, 2010
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