Software Advice, a trusted resource for medical software buyers, published a three-year study of demand drivers among prospective buyers of EHR software. From 2010 to 2013, we talked to tens of thousands of medical practices considering an EHR purchase. Our findings show that from 2010 to 2013, the percentage of buyers replacing another EHR grew by almost 50 percent, while the percentage of buyers replacing paper records dropped. The research was conducted in part to determine the impact that the HITECH Act had on EHR demand, and specifically on implementation success.

1. EHR Purchasing Post-HITECH
IndustryView Report

2. Abstract
From 2010 to 2013, Software Advice talked to tens of thousands of medical
practices considering an electronic health records (EHR) purchase. We tapped
into a subset of the data to determine two things:
• Are more practices replacing EHR software today than they were when the
HITECH Act was signed into law?
• Why are practices buying new EHR software in 2013?

3. Reasons for Purchasing an EHR
16%
12%
50%
19%
63%
Q1 2010
30%
Replacing paper
Replacing EHR
New practice
Replacing other
Multiple / other
Q1 2013
Our data show fewer first-time EHR buyers and more buyers replacing existing EHR
software. We saw some dissatisfaction with previous implementations.

4. Percent of Respondents Replacing an Existing EHR
Q1 2010
Q1 2013
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
Percent of respondents
Practices replacing existing software grew by nearly half, supporting our hypothesis
that stimulus incentives may have sparked hasty purchasing.

5. Reasons for Replacing EHRs
Dissatisfied with current EHR
Want fully integrated system
Old / unsupported system
Cost implications
Compliance / Meaningful Use
See what else is out there
Poor customer service
Other
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Percent of respondents
Q1 2010
Q1 2013
For buyers replacing an existing EHR, dissatisfaction with their current software is
by far the predominant reason for making the switch.

6. Reasons for Dissatisfaction with Current EHR
Lacks key features
Too cumbersome
Hardware failure
Too generic
Billing issues
Too complex
Poor templates
Poor architecture
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Number of mentions
Q1 2010
Q1 2013
Key reasons for EHR dissatisfaction include the software being too cumbersome,
too complex, too generic, or a lack of customizability.

7. Percent of Respondents Opening a New Practice
Q1 2010
Q1 2013
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
Percent of respondents
Practices starting out with electronic (vs. paper) records grew, consistent with what
we'd expect from a market increasingly embracing medical software.

8. Percent of Respondents Replacing Paper Records
Q1 2010
Q1 2013
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Percent of respondents
Practices switching from paper to electronic records declined sharply, whereas a
growing proportion of practices are switching from one EHR to another.

9. Reasons for Replacing Paper Charts - 2010
Reduce paperwork
Go electronic
Improve time / efficiency
Fully integrate system
Unhappy with current PM/billing
Qualify for stimulus funds
Address billing concerns
Certification/compliance
Become more organized
“Time to make the move”
0
10
20
30
40
50
Number of mentions
In 2010, reasons given for replacing paper records suggested physicians wanted
more than just incentives; they wanted the benefits of a paperless practice.

10. Reasons for Replacing Paper Charts - 2013
Reduce paperwork
Go electronic
Improve time / efficiency
Become more organized
Fully integrate system
“Time to make the move”
Qualify for stimulus funds
Address billing concerns
Unhappy with current PM/billing
Certification/compliance
0
20
40
60
80
100
Number of mentions
In 2013, more than three-quarters of respondents mentioned wanting to reduce
paperwork and/or improve time, efficiency, or organization.

11. Learn More About EHR Software
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12. @SoftwareAdvice
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Software Advice™ is a trusted resource for software buyers. The company's
website, www.softwareadvice.com, provides detailed reviews, comparisons and
research to help organizations choose the right software. Meanwhile, the company’s
team of software analysts provide free telephone consultations to help each
software buyer identify systems that best fit their needs. In the process, Software
Advice connects software buyers and sellers, generating high-quality opportunities
for software vendors.