For the second year in a row, people were spotted at the Allscripts User Conference sporting a “No Hybrid EMR” button (as reported in HISTalk.) This begs the question: What are they afraid of?
Could it be that Allscripts—a giant in the traditional EMR industry—is afraid of the hybrid EMR? Why would that be? Perhaps it is because:
- The hybrid EMR forces physicians to think about their fundamental reasons for wanting to purchase an EMR—it changes the conversation from meaningful use to business improvement, from the interests of government and other stakeholders to the needs of physicians. In contrast, vendors of traditional EMRs have spent the last year-and-a-half marketing government certification and potential meaningful use incentives.
- Physicians are continuing to buy hybrid EMRs despite government subsidies for traditional EMRs because they recognize the greater value of the hybrid EMR to their businesses.
- The hybrid EMR increases physician productivity and does not require any downtime, even during implementation. Users of traditional EMRs often experience long periods of decreased productivity (low-end estimates from MGMA peg this at 15%, usually lasting a year or more).
- Mid- to large-size specialty groups, in particular, find the hybrid EMR more suitable to their practice needs; traditional EMRs do not successfully compete in this arena.
- The hybrid EMR works—because it is easy to use and flexible, it is quickly and universally embraced by users, virtually all of whom become enthusiastic references.
It’s true that the hybrid EMR challenges the traditional EMR model, but in a market characterized by a disturbingly low rate of EMR adoption, and by needs that differ significantly by practice type, surely there is room for a variety of solutions.
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Is there any hybrid EMR CCHIT certified? I see a lot of nice features in these articles but would like to know why this is good for the doctors or even clinics administrators and how hybrid EMR specifically help them?