KLAS: Epic, NextGen Come Out on Top in EMR-Centric Virtual Care Arena

A new KLAS report found that use of EMR-centric virtual care platforms, particularly Epic and NextGen, will continue to grow, especially for specialties like behavioral health.

During the pandemic, telehealth expanded rapidly and it is now seen as part of the new normal by most. Considering this, analyzing and optimizing telehealth services is critical, as it will provide a framework for the future of healthcare.

In this report, KLAS reviewed EMR-centric virtual care platforms, assessing which ones performed best, the criteria for how the review process occurred, and whether optimization is possible. All data are from KLAS interviews conducted over the last 12 months. Researchers used a standard quantitative evaluation process to determine rankings from weighted questions.

EHR vendor Epic received high ratings for its virtual care abilities. In the report, researchers stated that Epic produced strong patient experiences, optimal web-based functionality, and deep integration.

NextGen is another platform that received high scores. Users described NextGen as an adaptable solution that is suitable for various workflows.

Cerner, however, did not receive high ratings. The areas Cerner fell short included patient dislike of the portal login process, which resulted in complications for many users.

In addition to rankings of individual vendors, the KLAS report outlined general areas where users commonly found gaps. Researchers obtained this information following conversations with users who shared reasons as to why their organizations stopped using a particular solution. The most common reason for departure from a solution was functionality, with 13 organizations departed due to issues in this area, followed by patient usability, price, and provider usability.

Regarding gaps in virtual care solutions, audio/video quality was the most common, with six organizations citing this gap, followed by multi-party capabilities and certain healthcare workflows.

Although various organizations experienced issues while working with EMR vendors, the report also mentioned that 69 percent stated they would be willing to give their original vendor another chance in the future.

In the past, the integration of EMRs and virtual care solutions has proven successful .

In November 2021, the Michigan State Medical Society published a guidance stating that telehealth and remote patient monitoring interoperability with EMR systems helps enable high-quality care. Providers claim that access to EMRs during telehealth operations is optimal, according to the guidance.

Earlier, in June 2020, athenahealth created a telehealth solution that was integrated into the organization’s EMR system. Deployed in response to restrictions that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic, the feature led to improved quality of virtual visits and easy access to medical records.

Further, Epic and NextGen, in general, have both received positive feedback and high rankings from users in the past.

In May 2022, a KLAS market share report stated that Epic had the best market share growth in 2021. Last year, the vendor gained several net-new customers and various hospitals. In addition to this, Epic retained its position as the first choice for large healthcare organizations.

Another KLAS report from December 2021 showed that NextGen healthcare customers spoke highly of the vendor, reporting that its health IT portfolio met the needs of an ambulatory practice.