KLAS Releases EMR Toolkit to Aid Healthcare Providers with Stimulus-Related Technology Decisions

    OREM, UT, March 24, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- As healthcare CIOs consider the impact of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) - and in particular, its effect on investments in electronic medical record (EMR) software - healthcare research firm KLAS has released the KLAS EMR Toolkit to help providers make informed choices regarding stimulus-related technology decisions.

A number of questions remain unanswered about the new stimulus package and its provisions for the "meaningful use" of EMRs, but already many healthcare providers are closely examining what the package might mean to their facilities. And though some CIOs remain reticent to discuss the prospect of any definitive impact, others are looking at the ARRA with marked optimism. According to one CIO of a large IDN, "What we've seen suggests a lot of support for our initiatives to get medication management, CPOE and ePrescribing done as soon as possible."

Despite the potential of increased funding for healthcare IT investments, however, some in the industry are also warning CIOs against moving too quickly, without careful consideration to the long-term impact of those purchases. As John Glasser, CIO at Partners HealthCare System and chairman of the CIO SmartBrief Advisory Board, wrote recently:

"...now is the time when we have to be thoughtful. We have to be focused, move quickly and be thoughtful.

"Providers have to be careful that they are not so focused on the money that they make poor vendor choices and slam in systems in a way that fails to make necessary process changes and meaningfully engage clinicians."

To assist providers in considering those vendor choices, KLAS has created the KLAS EMR Toolkit, which offers performance ratings and analyses of leading EMR vendors for both inpatient and outpatient markets, as well as professional services firms that offer implementation expertise. The toolkit is available as a complimentary resource to all healthcare providers.

"We hope the KLAS EMR Toolkit will be a useful resource for providers, as they consider the increased use, replacement or adoption of EMR systems," said KLAS Founder and Chairman Kent Gale. "While increased funding for healthcare IT holds the potential of improving hospital operations, the realization of those benefits is all about finding the right long-term technology investment."

The KLAS EMR Toolkit can be downloaded by healthcare providers at www.KLASresearch.com/klasemrtoolkit. Healthcare IT vendors, consultants and investment bankers can purchase the toolkit from the KLAS Web site at www.KLASresearch.com.

About KLAS
KLAS is a research firm specializing in monitoring and reporting the performance of healthcare vendors. KLAS' mission is to improve delivery, by independently measuring vendor performance for the benefit of our healthcare provider partners, consultants, investors and vendors. Working together with executives from more than 4,500 hospitals and over 2,500 clinics, KLAS delivers timely reports, trends and statistics, which provide a solid overview of vendor performance in the industry. KLAS measures the performance of software, professional services and medical equipment vendors. For more information, go to www.KLASresearch.com, email [email protected] or call 1-800-920-4109 to speak with a KLAS representative.

# # #