Patient Portals: Providers Choose Path of Least Resistance

OREM, UT, January 02, 2013 (Press-News.org) Convenience and the ease of integration that comes from having an established relationship with an EMR vendor are the primary factors providers use to choose a patient portal. This is according to a new research study from KLAS entitled Patient Portals 2012: The Path of Least Resistance.

The study examines the patient portal market, which is on the verge of a growth spurt due to Stage 2 meaningful use requirements. The report focused on which solutions providers are using and what role they play in their long-term healthcare strategies for patient engagement. Respondents included a mix of health systems, hospitals, and clinics.

With the urgency surrounding meaningful use and accountable care, providers are feeling increased pressure to engage with their patients at deeper levels than ever before. About one-half of interviewed providers already had a portal in place, primarily from their current EMR vendor. Providers needing to connect a number of disparate EMRs were the only group more likely to opt for a best-of-breed solution.

"The existing EMR vendor relationship appears to be more important than any other factor when choosing a patient portal," said report author Mark Allphin. "While functionality and ease of use are important to providers, they take a backseat compared to providers' desire to manage fewer vendors and interfaces."

Although many providers are choosing to stay with incumbent EMR-based patient portals, KLAS did report significant interest and engagement with third-party vendors, including Intuit Health, Jardogs, MEDSEEK, NextGen, and RelayHealth. The report details experiences with each of the vendors and also takes an early look at popular EMR vendor solutions, including Epic MyChart.

For more detailed information on each vendor's performance and the KLAS report Patient Portals 2012: The Path of Least Resistance, visit KLAS online at www.KLASresearch.com/reports. The report is available online to healthcare providers and vendors. Providers receive a significant discount off the standard retail price.

About KLAS
KLAS is a research firm on a global mission to improve healthcare delivery by enabling providers to be heard and to be counted. Working with thousands of healthcare executives and clinicians, KLAS gathers data on software, services, medical equipment, and infrastructure systems to deliver timely reports, trends, and statistical overviews. The research directly represents the provider voice and acts as a catalyst for improving vendor performance. KLAS was founded in 1996, and their staff and advisory board average 25 years of healthcare information technology experience. Follow KLAS on Twitter at www.twitter.com/KLASresearch.