Elation Health Leads in Small Practice EHR Satisfaction Ranking

Elation Health has separated itself from other EHR vendors and led the way in small practice EHR satisfaction, according to a recent KLAS Performance Report sent to journalists.

Despite their size, small practices provide a large amount of outpatient care in the United States. These care facilities have needs unique from their larger counterparts, requiring a cost-efficient EHR with a variety of benefits.

“When it comes to EMR/PM technology, these practices expect up-to-date functionality, steady product performance, solid implementation and training, and an integrated suite of solutions from a single vendor—all at a price point that makes sense for a small practice’s budget. This is a tall order, but some vendors have stepped up to the challenge in multiple areas of delivery,” KLAS explained in the report about small practice ambulatory EHRs.

Over the last 12 months, KLAS interviewed thousands of healthcare professionals from small practice organizations with between two and 10 physicians to evaluate how major vendors in this market perform.

Elation Health captured the top ratings in overall EHR performance, earning nearly a 90 overall performance score based on a 100-point scale. Customers of Elation Health stated that the vendor offers proper functionality to meet care needs and provide consistent upgrades that address practices’ changing concerns.

Following only several points behind Elation Health for the top overall performer were NextGen Healthcare, CompuGroup Medical US, and athenahealth.

“NextGen Healthcare, athenahealth, and Azalea Health offer stable, comprehensive, and easy-to-use cloud-based solutions that don’t burden customers with the complexities of a multivendor technology stack,” KLAS researchers wrote. “Following CompuGroup Medical US’ 2020 acquisition of eMDs, customers of the latter have seen a notable jump in satisfaction, due in large part to improvements in account management, proactivity, and vendor relationships.”

Technology improvements play a significant role in EHR performance ratings by consumers. According to the report, Allscripts, DrChrono, CareCloud, and eClinicalWorks experienced a decline of over 10 percent in the delivery of new technology over the last few years. Consumers stated that retrospective EHR vendors need more communication regarding upcoming technology developments.

Alongside the worsening technology delivery, many eClinicalWorks and CareCloud consumers said they are dissatisfied with the EHR, leading them to explore other EHRs in the future.

On the contrary, athenahealth customers stated that they had noticed slight improvements in technology delivery. Additionally, the EHR provides effective communication and follows through on offering a development roadmap.

athenahealth customers also noted that the vendor’s comprehensive ambulatory solution aids in many of its small practice’s HIT needs. The EHR vendor’s capabilities have helped providers facilitate better care quality and lessen many burdens from running a billing office in-house.

EHR vendor Kareo offers functionality for small practices, which typically employ fewer than three physicians, according to customers. Providers also are satisfied that the vendor is very transparent regarding EHR pricing.

NextGen Healthcare’s robust technology and integrated, comprehensive suite also yielded positive customer reviews, with many reporting that the solution offers good value. However, some also stated that the EHR vendor can unfairly charge customers for minor services, known as “nickel-and-diming.”

Overall, eClinicalWorks had the lowest value score compared to other EHR competitors, receiving 51.9 out of 100.

Elation Health received the highest value scores, with many customers reporting positive reviews regarding its simple navigation and reliable functionality. Elation Health customers were also satisfied with the transparent pricing that reduces surprising costs.

Elation Health also led among other vendors for its software training and customer relationships. As stated by customers, the vendor guarantees that providers understand how to use the product effectively and offers continuous training for new capabilities such as telehealth.

In Addition, NextGen Healthcare received positive remarks regarding training.

“NextGen Healthcare has made significant improvements to their account management, and customers now say the account managers are empowered to resolve issues and are proactive in identifying areas in which customers could use additional help, including navigating changing government requirements,” the report stated.

EHR vendors such as eClinicalWorks and CareCloud received inadequate training and relationship scores. Specifically, a few eClinicalWorks customers stated that EHR training is no longer complementary and representatives are unknowledgeable. 

Since the acquisition of CareCloud, users stated that consumer relationships have deteriorated. Further, the acquisition led to the elimination of account representatives, unresponsive support people, and additional training cost.

“Though training is not always a top priority for provider organizations, it can significantly impact users’ overall satisfaction,” KLAS reported.

Past studies by the KLAS’ Arch Collaborative have shown that high-quality EHR training and clinician-led governance structure led to better EHR user satisfaction.

Specifically, providers who strongly agree they received specialty-specific training received specialty-specific EHR training are almost 25 times more likely to report clinician satisfaction with EHR functionality.

Strong user mastery, an organization-wide sense of shared ownership, and having an EHR technology that meets users’ unique needs can impact 70 percent of clinicians’ EHR satisfaction.  By focusing on these critical areas, executives significantly improve the EHR experience.