Report: HIE Vendor Market Fragmented, Moving Toward Packaged Solutions

Today, the Framingham, Mass.-based IDC Health Insights released a new MarketScape report evaluating Health Information Exchange (HIE) packaged solution offerings. The comprehensive study, IDC MarketScape: U.S. Health Information Exchange Packaged Solutions 2012 Vendor Assessment, outlines the changing market landscape and profiles ten vendors, including Caradigm, Carefx, Certify Data Systems, eClinicalWorks, Infor, Informatics Company of America (ICA), Medecision, Medicity, MobileMD a Siemens Solution, and PatientKeeper.

IDC Health Insights found the market for HIE technology is fragmented with IT suppliers providing solutions with diverse origins ranging from integration engine platforms, portals, clinical messaging, composite applications, information management, and managed network services. New market entrants and merger and acquisition activity continue to change the technical and competitive landscape. Furthermore, the report cited the enterprise market as the fastest growing market segment for HIE technology, given the ability to demonstrate meaningful use and pursue a collaborative care strategy will require the ability to exchange health information across the enterprise.

"The ability to leverage existing systems and accelerate implementation time frames is the fastest path to meaningful use incentives," said Lynne Dunbrack, IDC Health Insights Program Director. "Packaged solutions are designed to meet a very specific set of requirements and reduce the risk of uncertainty related to project scope, timelines, and costs."

The report also found that as the health information exchange market continues to evolve, organizations are focusing on turning data into "actionable information." As a result, packaged solution vendors, like their platform counterparts, are also developing, partnering or acquiring analytics, collaborative care, and patient engagement technologies to address the requirements of accountable care and collaborative care initiatives.

The IDC MarketScape vendor assessments for HIE technology are not all inclusive as there are other vendors that provide either a packaged or platform solution for HIE. Additional HIE vendors are covered in IDC MarketScape: U.S. Health Information Exchange Platform Solutions 2012 Vendor Assessment, which looks at 16 vendors offering a platform solution for HIE.