The rate of electronic health record (EHR) adoption among U.S. physicians expects to increase over the next two to five years due to a combination of changes caused by healthcare reform. Financial subsidies provided by the U.S. government's HITECH program have also boosted the prospects of this market.
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.healthcareit.frost.com), U.S. Ambulatory EHR Market, finds the market earned revenues of $1.3 billion in 2009 and estimates this to reach $2.6 billion in 2012.
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"Today, many public and private stakeholders are committed to harnessing the power of information technology to improve the quality and efficiency of our healthcare system," states Frost & Sullivan Senior Industry Analyst Nancy Fabozzi. "We are finally seeing providers make the transition from siloed paper charts to interoperable electronic health records."
Growing complexities in managing the reimbursement process with both government and commercial payers who reward quality over quantity in the care provided will increase the use of EHRs and related solutions for physicians and other clinicians.
Over the past year, HITECH has significantly increased public awareness around the issue of EHRs. In addition to direct payments to physicians and hospitals for the "meaningful use" of EHRs, HITECH will indirectly stimulate the market by enticing additional stakeholders like commercial payers, professional medical societies, healthcare manufacturers, and various nonprofit organizations to help physicians and other providers successfully adopt information technology in their practices.
Revenues expect to fluctuate considerably over the next five to seven years, resulting in significant year-over-year shifts. This fluctuation happens as the market matures and increased competition comes into play, causing a decrease in pricing.