Kalorama Quoted in Wall Street Journal Article on EMR Usability

NEW YORK, Sept. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Kalorama Information was quoted in a Wall Street Journal article about the complaints of physicians about electronic medical record usability.  The healthcare market research publisher has published yearly studies of the EMR market since 2007, and has long cited usability of the software as a need for the market.  In the wake of complaints from the nation's largest physicians group, the American Medical Association, the firm thinks usability in EMR will see increased focus.  Kalorama studies the electronic medical market every year and its latest survey, EMR 2014 was published earlier in the year. 

Usability is a key product metric in the regulation-driven EMR market, and yet a predominant concern among users represented by the American Medical Association (AMA) is that the EMR systems available are not user-friendly enough and especially are not device-friendly enough.  In an interview with the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), AMA President-elect Steven J. Stack pinned deficient usability features on many EMR systems to vendors' development process rushed by federal mandates. Registration Required: (http://online.wsj.com/articles/ama-urges-overhaul-of-electronic-records-1410840063). The story quotes Kalorama's US EMR estimate of 9 billion dollars.

"Users want systems that reduce clicks, avoid menu pages and that work on their iPads and Galaxy phones," said Bruce Carlson, Publisher of Kalorama Information.  "EMR vendors have been targeting top-level healthcare system users but a greater focus is needed on the users of the systems.  Now the largest user group there is looking for public policy to change, but these are changes that vendors should be making and fast."

Kalorama says consolidation in the EMR and supporting healthcare IT industry will undoubtedly continue past the recent Cerner-Siemens and Cognizant-TriZetto acquisitions. While fewer industry competitors could stand to discourage vendor responsiveness to client demands, the need to claim market share and sell additional products for new Meaningful Use requirements are expected to drive product innovation and improvement. 

According to surveys, vendors need to make significant progress related to product usability: almost twice as many (24% to 46%) of respondents to a 2014 Physicians Foundation survey reported that EMR systems detracted rather than improved their efficiency and only 32% believed EMR improved the overall quality of care for their patients. Physicians look for EMR systems that integrate easily into their daily routines, facilitating immediate access to records and streamlining prescriptions, referrals and medical orders – all without interfering in physician-patient interaction. Allscripts is developing separate workflows for mobile devices and desktop computers, and will focus on touch-speech recognition and other non-keyboard interface features. Athenahealth's program analyzes physician clicks and keystrokes to provide feedback on how to streamline data entry.

Kalorama Information has studied the fast-changing EMR market for nearly a decade. The most recent market research study EMR 2014: The Market for Electronic Medical Records is an authoritative source for EMR/EHR market sizing, market share, and analysis of current trends. The report can be found at: http://www.kaloramainformation.com/redirect.asp?progid=86662&productid=8100400

About Kalorama Information -- Kalorama Information, a division of MarketResearch.com, supplies the latest in independent medical market research in diagnostics, biotech, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and healthcare; as well as a full range of custom research services. We routinely assist the media with healthcare topics. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and our blog.

Contact:
Bruce Carlson
(212) 807-2622
[email protected] 
www.KaloramaInformation.com

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SOURCE Kalorama Information