The EHR Incentive Programs have gathered a certain amount of notoriety among specialty providers for being insensitive to their particular needs, a circumstance that has left many specialists behind the EHR adoption curve. Dermatology is one specialty that fits that unfortunate trend, says Black Book Rankings in its latest poll. Just 34% of dermatologists had implemented a first system before last year, which is well below the national average of nearly 70% of professionals eligible for meaningful use. But dermatologists will be seeking new and replacement EHRs at a rapid rate in 2014, the poll predicts, and they may be turning to a mix of specialty-specific and general use EHRs to accomplish their goals.
“Product and vendor loyalty among several niche EHR specialists is on the upward trajectory,” said Doug Brown, Black Book’s managing partner. “The vendor’s abilities to meet the evolving demands of interoperability, networking, mobile devices, accountable care, patient accessibility, customization for specialty workflow, and reimbursement are the main factors that the replacement mentality and late adoption are turning course in specialties such as dermatology.”
After asking providers to rate their vendors in key areas like customer experience and satisfaction, dermatologists voted Modernizing Medicine as their top EHR pick. Following close behind were an assortment of all-purpose and specialty-focused EHR vendors: Allscripts, Dr Chrono, eDerm Systems, e-MDs, EZ Derm, Greenway, and Praxis.
These companies may be poised for a windfall from dermatologists who are looking to adopt EHRs and attest to meaningful use before penalties come into play, as well as those who have tried systems that have fallen short of expectations. Half of solo dermatology providers and small groups haven’t yet fully implemented an EHR product, and 81% of those are considering scrapping the software within the next year and starting afresh with a new package.
“High performing vendors have emerged from the pack as practice implementations succeed and fail, meaningful use attestations are reviewed, and users assess their vendor’s capabilities to meet their individual practice needs,” said Brown. Providers will be looking to vendors to help them avoid repeating the mistakes of their first implementations, as well as guide them through the first and second stages of meaningful use as the program advances.
