KLAS: Reporting a Struggle in Amb. Meaningful Use

Eighty-five percent of healthcare providers believe their ambulatory EMR will enable them meet the proposed 2011 meaningful use deadlines, according to a report from KLAS.

Among the study respondents, Epic, NextGen and athenahealth customers expressed the most confidence, and SRSsoft and Amazing Charts clients the least.

Despite the confidence, however, providers also noted a number of functional areas that are still lacking. Foremost among these were EMR reporting tools, patient access to medical records and the ability to share key clinical data.

The KLAS study also looks closely at the EMRs that excel or struggle with other proposed requirements, such as the digital transmission of pharmacy orders. Of all the products in the report, only Allscripts Enterprise had 100 percent of interviewed clients able to digitally transmit qualifying orders. Greenway and e-MDs earned the highest marks for functionality in this area, while MED3000 was considered the most challenged.

The following vendors are highlighted in the new KLAS ambulatory EMR report: Allscripts, Amazing Charts, Aprima (iMedica), athenahealth, Cerner, CHARTCARE, DoctorsPartner, eClinicalWorks, Eclipsys, e-MDs, Epic, GE, gMed, Greenway, HealthPort, Ingenix, LSS, McKesson, MED3000, MedcomSoft, NextGen, PracticeOne, Praxis, Sage, Sevocity and SRSsoft.

For “Ambulatory EMR: On Track for Meaningful Use?” KLAS interviewed more than 1,400 providers about 26 EMR vendors to assess each solution’s readiness to meet meaningful use requirements. The report is available to healthcare providers online for a discount off the standard retail price. To purchase the full report, visit www.KLASresearch/reports.com.