Nearly seven of ten small and single physician practices have affirmed their confidence in web-based EHR systems, as the more human aspects of third generation EHR usability come into play and connectivity issues remain unresolved. With meaningful use attestations and multiple system replacements behind them, independent doctors intensify product loyalty for open cloud platforms systems to improve financial results, clinical outcomes and increase patient satisfaction.

Clearwater, Florida (PRWEB) May 27, 2015

Black Book Rankings, well known internationally for accurate, impartial customer satisfaction surveys in the multiple services and software industries, conducted a sweeping four-month user poll to determine the highest ranked Electronic Health and Medical Record software systems for 2015. As part of a special research focus on implemented EHR users, Black Book reveals industry trends and announced those software vendors with the highest scores in client experience among small and solo physician specialists across all medical and surgical specialties.

According to 83% of the 5,700 small and solo medical practices surveyed by Black Book™ in 2015, the single biggest trend in physician technology is cloud-based EHRs. Improvements in web-based EHRs including implementations, updates, usability and customization have reversed overall EHR satisfaction in small practices from barely13% meeting or exceed expectations in 2012, to 81% overall contented small practice EHR users in Q2 2015.

The adoption rate of cloud-based EHRs in small practices in urban settings has also increased from 60% in 2013, to 82% presently. The adoption by rural practices remains about the same as was in 2013, around 20%. 91% of non-urban physicians in solo practice state that fear of internet outages prevent them from changing to a cloud-based EHR, despite the benefits.

“The focus of healthcare technology vendors needs to be on mobile, cloud, and data integration to successfully meet the future demands of the changing healthcare landscape, “said Doug Brown, Managing Partner of Black Book. "The bigger issues of interoperability and population health outcomes, quality of care reporting and ICD-10 have framed the third generation EHR vendor, and the majority (69%) of small practices plan to increase their investment in the advancements made by their current cloud-based vendor.”

Pricing is the main factor in purchasing a cloud EHR, according to 79% of small medical practices.

38% of solo/small practice physicians have moderate to serious concerns about the security and privacy of cloud-based electronic health record systems even though 90% recognize that the cloud EHR platform and infrastructure models have matured into being a top safeguard to protect health information.

Conversely, 81% of physicians employing server-based EHR software claim they are concerned that their system, device, server or files may be stolen or breached. 92% of small practice EHR users that switched to a cloud based EHR from a server in the last six months feel their chances of a major patient record data breach are lowered, but 52% report their fears of system downtime have increased since the switchover.

69% of small practice physicians agree that first generation EHRs have not lived up to expectations, particularly dissatisfied with cost add-ons, affected workflows, and lost time with patients.

“An increasing number (79% in 2015 up from 64% in 2014) of new conversions are using software-as-a-service type implementations, driving the growing number of physician practices to cloud-based products,” said Brown.

Despite the gains, 48% of small practices that switched EHRs between June 2014 and May 2015 report the financial burden of changing EHRs has put the practice in an unstable financial position. 51% of solo physicians currently using cloud-based EHRs reported improved productivity results from their current cloud based system as compared to both cloud and server based EHRs they implemented previously.

Black Book forecasts the healthcare cloud market in US and Europe is expected to grow nearly 24% by 2020, and in the US reach $3.8 billion. The global healthcare cloud IT market is on track to leap above $7.0 billion worldwide in three years, up from $2.4 billion in 2014, including EHRs, population health, clinical coordination, patient engagement, telemedicine, mobile health applications and information exchange.

In 2013, 82% of physician practices reported implementation and deployment as the major EHR issue for their practice, falling to under 20% of users in 2015. Currently, 91% of doctors now see the biggest challenge to improving clinical and financial performance is the lack of EHR interoperability between all providers and payers including ancillaries, hospitals, clinics, labs, and physicians.