Market research firm KLAS has named Epic as the highest performing healthcare vendor across all market segments in its annual rankings, which were released Monday.
'The 2008 Top 20 Best in KLAS Awards" lists top vendors in a number of software categories, as well as several professional services categories. KLAS Founder and Chairman Kent Gale said more than 1,500 interviews were conducted.
"We enjoy putting a spotlight on the top performers," he said.
While Epic earned top honors across all market segments - known as the Top 20 - among software vendors, Hayes Management took the Top 20 honors among services firms. Other highly rated vendors include 3M, FujiFilm, Sunquest and CTGHS.
"Best in KLAS" software category winners are as follows:
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Epic, in acute care EMR, ambulatory EMR (more than 100 physicians), practice management (more than 100 physicians), pharmacy, patient accounting/patient management and radiology;
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McKesson, in homecare, financial/ERP and community HIS;
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Siemens, in laboratory;
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Allscripts, in ambulatory EMR (26-100 physicians);
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GE, in PACS;
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Greenway Medical, in ambulatory EMR (6-25 physicians), ambulatory EMR (2-5 physicians) and practice management (6-25 physicians);
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Digisonics, in cardiology;
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athenahealth, in practice management (26-100 physicians) and practice management (2-5 physicians);
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MedPlus, in document management and imaging;
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Wellsoft, in emergency department;
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USA, in enterprise scheduling and surgery management;
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and Nuance, in speech recognition.
In professional services, the "Best in KLAS" winners are:
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NaviSite, in application hosting (CIS/ERP/HIS);
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CareTech, in IT outsourcing (extensive);
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Navicure, in clearinghouse services;
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Transcend Services, in outsourced transcription;
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Perot Systems, in clinical implementation principal;
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Impact Advisors, in planning and assessment;
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Coastal Healthcare Consulting, in clinical implementation supportive;
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Deloitte Consulting, in revenue cycle transformation;
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ACS, in financial implementation;
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and Orchestrate Healthcare, in technical services.
"Since 1998, the 'Top 20 Best in KLAS Awards' report has been shining a light on the performance of vendors throughout the healthcare industry," said KLAS President Adam Gale in a press release. "Today the objective of the report remains the same: To help healthcare providers make informed decisions, whether they're looking to buy technology, review a current vendor, validate an operational decision or determine the right products to remain after a merger."
Officials at Greenway Medical Technologies, whose PrimeSuite EHR product won three awards, say the recognition caps a busy year for the Carrollton, Ga.-based company.
"We are extremely honored to win a third consecutive 'Best in KLAS' award in the ambulatory EMR market segment," said Tee Green, Greenway's president, in a press release. "Greenway is committed to creating the most usable, functional and interoperable EHR in healthcare and these three 'Best in KLAS' awards underscore our achievements while highlighting our dedication to optimizing physician practices and hospital community EHR strategies across America."
'It's amazing to see the success they're having with physicians," Kent Gale said of both Greenway and Watertown, Mass.-based athenahealth, which earned honors in two categories for its practice management software.
Gale added that KLAS is developing new categories and refining others based on the comments received during the interview process. The company has added cardiology as a category, he pointed out, while it is working on designations for RFID assets and labor and delivery.