Usability Failures Heat Up EHR Replacement Market, Black Book Rankings Survey

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Black Book Rankings LLC

Jul 18, 2013, 08:20 ET

New York, NY (PRWEB) July 18, 2013 -- According to a recent Black Book Market Research user surveys, the demands of EHR usability can no longer be ignored. 100% of nearly 2,900 practices engaged in the poll report they are employing much stricter selectivity in the replacement market wave and driving more informed decisions as they prepare to swap out original EHR systems.

Black Book performed a follow up during the second quarter of 2013 to focus on the profound trend of EHR dissatisfaction and the shift to replace original EHR purchases from results gathered in a previous Q4 2012 user poll.

One fifth of all electronic health record firms received positive usability feedback on all Black Book key performance indicators gathered in the past six months. However, 413 of 520 qualified EHRs received less than midpoint experience scores in usability of basic EHR functionality.    

Notable usability findings in Black Book's recent "State of the EHR Replacement Market" study include:

  • 74% of doctors nationwide use an EHR regularly, either in office or hospital.
  • 66% of those who use EHR systems admit not doing it willingly.
  • 87% of those who use EHR systems unwillingly claim usability issues as their primary complaint.
  • 2% of all users believe they use their current EHR to its fullest capacity.
  • 84% of physician groups chose their original EHR with the primary selection criteria of achieving meaningful use incentives.
  • 92% of practices currently describe their current EHR as “clunky” and/or “difficult to use.”
  • 94% of doctors/administrators/clinicians dissatisfied believe that government direction is needed to define and standardize EHR usability.
  • 70% of EHR users believe their vendor’s system functionality is not in need of massive programming changes to retain their business but 93% state they have little or no vendor loyalty concerns that would cause them to retain a system with continual usability flaws.
  • 91% of physicians over age 55 are dissatisfied with EHR usability.
  • 29% of physicians under age 40 are satisfied with basic EHR usability, but 88% are dissatisfied with the pace of EHR advancements, applications and innovations.
  • 93% of all physicians agree they would prefer to replace/enhance point and click EHR models with voice technologies for functions that would improve productivity like transcription and documentation/patient notes and orders.
  • 92% of clinicians in hospital environments are frustrated with EHR systems that silo information between physicians and support staff and causing usability and chart sharing issues, particularly in clinics and EDs.
  • 88% of EHR users that are currently seeking a replacement EHR vendor agree that usability concerns in basic functions have negatively impacted their pre-EHR productivity levels.
  • 96% agree that their practice will never again achieve pre-EHR productivity levels if they continue with their current vendor with basic usability problems. Black Book estimate the average practice lost $9,000 in revenue per physician after their group's EHR was implemented. In practices reporting major usability issues, lost revenue was calculated at $15,500 per physician.

Black Book polling definitions of “usability” have also morphed in the past four years from the basic expectations for ease in documentation, e-prescribing and results review to more complex demands from the evolution of meaningful use, interoperability and connectivity, accountable care and clinical decision support.

With 72% of all responding EHR users agree that a discussion of basic system usability at this point in the evolution of EHR technology is a disturbing sign of the state of the industry.

On July 23, Black Book's "State of the Replacement EHR Industry" research explores usability expectations for a new comprehensive EHR technology and reimbursement innovation stage. This new stage includes iPads, mobile apps, connectivity and interoperability, revenue cycle management, decision support, population management, patient portals, voice technology, transcription options, cloud storage, custom workflows and other actual aspects that replacement market EHR buyers are examining now.

More information is available at http://www.blackbookrankings.com.

Douglas Brown, Managing Partner, Black Book Rankings LLC, http://www.brown-wilson.com, 7274637806, [email protected]