Best-of-breed software systems may no longer be the way to go for emergency departments, according to the most recent research by KLAS.
An increasing number of hospitals are replacing stand-alone, best-of-breed emergency department software with enterprise solutions that foster better integration, the Orem, Utah-based research firm says in a report it release in February. But, it warns, many of those solutions aren’t satisfying ED clinicians.
“Emergency Department Information Systems: Is Best of Breed Still the Best Approach?” offers the opinions of more than 500 providers and includes performance ratings for 18 emergency department information system (EDIS) solutions.
Among the findings, the report notes, 72 percent of those planning to buy or replace an EDIS are leaving a best-of-breed product in favor of an enterprise offering. At the same time, the report says, ED customers of enterprise vendors Cerner, Eclipsys, McKesson and MEDITECH are having 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 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.
THREE TRENDS TO WATCH
KLAS analyst Steve VanWagenen says there are three key factors influencing the EDIS market today:
1. Shift from Best of Breed: The percentage of providers planning to leave their best-of-breed vendor is two and a half times higher than it was in 2005.
2. Angry docs: The dramatic shift away from best-of-breed products has angered some ED physicians, who feel they are taking a step backward in functionality when they move to an enterprise solution.
3. Looking for integration: Organizations are moving to enterprise EDIS solutions for integration benefits. However, with the exception of Epic, enterprise EDIS vendors have some customers second-guessing their vendor selection because of lagging functionality and integration challenges.
IT keeps ER patient data at fingertips
Allscripts
Allscripts ED
Allscripts is the leader in helping emergency departments improve their bottom line by automating and streamlining the care process. Allscripts has over 35 years of ED experience, is used in over 3 million ED visits a year, and has a proven ROI track record in over 200 leading hospitals and health systems nationally. Allscripts ED meets the goals of emergency department automation by providing better patient care, reducing the average time in a department, enhancing workflow and productivity and generating a positive return on investment.
Cerner
FirstNet
Designed by ED clinicians for ED clinicians, FirstNet will help your organization improve its workflow, starting with integrating data from prior to the patient’s arrival in the ED, through triage and finally until patient discharge. More than 200 EDs using FirstNet today. Integration with a complete electronic medical record makes it possible for organizations to streamline operational processes, optimize patient care and enhance financial performance.
Eclipsys
Sunrise Emergency Care
Sunrise Emergency Care delivers end-to-end emergency department management that helps hospitals reduce the overall wait time and length of stay, ensures ED physicians can see patients faster, and drives department revenue. Because Sunrise Emergency Care is fully integrated with the hospital’s Sunrise Clinical Manager clinical information solution, ED physicians and nurses can make decisions according to the most up-to-date patient information, including access to documentation from past ED visits and outpatient appointments – maximizing electronic health record benefits.
EDIMS LLC
For over 20 years, EDIMS has been providing leading edge support for emergency departments. EDIMS documentation system--including triage, assessments, comprehensive nursing and physician documentation, charge capture and CPOE--is based on clinician workflow so it enhances productivity and ensures providers are paid for the care they deliver.
Emergisoft
Emergisoft ED
EmergisoftED is a completely browser-based and Microsoft .NET Framework emergency eepartment information solution that automates each step of the patient management and patient documentation process in the emergency department including: triage, tracking, charting (physician and nursing), electronic charting forms with digital pen option, orders / results, real-time automated vital sign monitoring, charge capture, disposition, discharge instructions, scanning and digital imaging, and expanded real-time management reporting including syndromic surveillance.
Empower
EmpowER is a user-friendly, comprehensive, best of breed EDIS that was designed by front-line clinicians and has a proven track record of interfacing. Funded solely by the increase in net revenues from the first two EmpowER installation sites, EmpowER was developed and designed by ED physicians and nurses with the support of experts in IT, risk management, government compliance, coding and billing.
Epic
ASAP
ASAP Emergency Department Information System streamlines workflows and helps improve care delivery in busy emergency departments. Because it’s integrated with Epic’s other clinical applications, it combines instant access to comprehensive patient information with active decision-support functionality. ASAP clients dramatically reduce their wait times and transcription costs while providing faster, better care.
McKesson
HEC
The Horizon Emergency Care emergency department information system (EDIS) can improve emergency department performance by enhancing communication among care team members, optimizing department workflow and ensuring appropriate reimbursement. An integrated component of the Horizon Clinicals suite of solutions, Horizon Emergency Care EDIS features patient tracking, knowledge-driven documentation and coding intelligence, CPOE (computerized physician order entry), discharge information and management reporting tools.
MEDHOST
MEDHOST EDIS
MEDHOST EDIS version 4.2 is a CCHIT Certified 2008 emergency department electronic health record that enables efficient documentation and streamlines workflow. The complete, touch-screen EDIS suite integrates with any HIS, and automated charge capture drastically improves the bottom line. ED Pass, MEDHOST’s self check-in kiosk, improves patient safety and satisfaction.
MEDITECH
Emergency Department Management
MEDITECH’s Emergency Department Management application assists Emergency Department clinicians and staff in the critical task of managing patients quickly and efficiently. Highlights:
Integrated desktop and patient tracking system
Documentation
Reception
Discharge management
Registration
Comprehensive medical record
Picis
ED Pulse Check
Picis ED Pulsecheck 5.0, part of the CareSuite family of high-acuity solutions, enables emergency departments to increase throughput, revenue, patient satisfaction and clinical quality. The solution offers patient tracking, along with comprehensive documentation for physicians and nursing staff, core measures management, consistent and compliant E/M level calculation, integrated risk management, automated charge capture, actionable analytics and HIS interoperability.
LYNX CareBridge
Picis LYNX CareBridge is a software application that supports emergency department clinicians so disposition, medical necessity and physician intent are documented in near real time. CareBridge creates a communication document to enhance the continuum of care and can serve as the first line of defense during a RAC audit.
LYNX E/Point
Picis LYNX E/Point is a point-of-care revenue management solution for the emergency department.
E/Point’s easy-to-use SaaS solution enables hospitals to more accurately capture procedure charges and calculate facility visit-levels automatically as part of their clinical documentation process so that the hospitals can be properly reimbursed for the services they provide.
T-System
T-SystemEV
T-System is the leader in EDIS and emergency department documentation solutions, offering point of care tools to streamline processes and improve workflow efficiency. The T SystemEV is a comprehensive point-of-care emergency department information system (EDIS) that both improves workflow and reduces errors. More than 240 hospitals have chosen T SystemEV as their EDIS solution, gaining the most robust, up-to-date content available.
Wellsoft
Wellsoft EDIS
Wellsoft EDIS provides a user-friendly interface and intuitive navigation. Twenty years of experience in emergency medicine means Wellsoft EDIS has all the features emergency departments need. And integrated Web links provide secure access to essential resources. Wellsoft EDIS offers a wealth of features like patient tracking, clinical documentation, orders and results, discharge instructions and reporting. n
USER REVIEWS
"EDIMS has been a huge success for Clara Maass Medical Center. The product is definitely delivering on its promise of driving profitability as well as enhancing clinician productivity and patient care for our hospital. Our IT team is very satisfied with EDIMS, not only because its implementation and support teams are knowledgeable and responsive; its upgrades require little or no down-time or additional effort from my staff."
Don Lutz
CIO
Clara Maass Medical Center
Belleville, NJ
“MEDHOST truly delivers innovative and meaningful process improvements, and we are more successful since deploying their EDIS. The ease of capturing charges has made a significant difference in Good Shepherd’s bottom line, but more important, our patients are experiencing improved care.”
– Ron Short, VP of operations, Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview, Texas
“Everything has been computerized (with Allscripts). So, there’s no more dictation. We eliminated dictation and transcription on day one, which saved us about $600,000 a year.”
– Bob Carroll, MD, chair of emergency medicine and medical director, Eastern Connecticut Health Network
“The E/Point (Picis) implementation was one of the best supported IT installations our health system has experienced. – Richard Walbert, vice president of finance,
Hospital Sisters Health System
“Our MEDHOST implementation was a huge success. Our clinicians loved the user-friendly interface, which led to more complete clinical documentation. MEDHOST’s intuitive documentation and behind-the-scenes charge capture enabled us to achieve our ROI within three months, and even better, the EDIS continues to generate additional revenue for the ED.” – Edward Ricks, CIO, Beaufort Memorial Hospital, Beaufort, S.C.
