EMR Sales Nearly Double in 2009

During the challenging economy in 2008 EMR sales reached a seven-year low, but purchases nearly doubled in 2009 reflecting the increased attention EMR systems have received since the stimulus announcement, according to a report from Orem, Utah-based healthcare technology research firm KLAS.

The KLAS report, "CIS Purchase Decisions: Riding the ARRA Wave," details the wins and losses of acute care electronic medical record (EMR) vendors at large hospitals with more than 200 beds in the U.S. and Canada and reflects data collected from more than 1,600 hospitals with more than 200 beds.

Three prominent provider concerns emerged in the research regarding CIS decisions: integration, clinical adoption, and reliability. Organizations not only want a truly integrated system that clinicians will actually use; they want a vendor that can be a consistent and reliable partner in their efforts to reach meaningful use. KLAS notes that nearly 70 percent of the new 2009 hospital purchases were from EHR vendors Epic (Verona, Wis.) or Cerner (Kansas, City).