Allscripts is the leading electronic health record vendor for user satisfaction among large ambulatory practices, according to an annual survey by Black Book Market Research, EHR Intelligence reports (Bresnick, EHR Intelligence, 8/19).

More than 27,000 EHR users participated in this year's five-month survey. It also asked about adoption plans, budgeting and vendor awareness from 6,000 participants that have not yet fully implemented EHR systems (Black Book release, 8/18).

Top Vendor Findings

According to the survey, the four highest-ranked vendors were:

• Allscripts;
• Greenway;
• McKesson; and
• athenahealth.

All four vendors in the last year had made significant investments in user experience and client satisfaction, according to Black Book.

For example, the survey found that among respondents who used products from one of the top four vendors:

• 90% said their vendor solicited physician feedback;
• 60% said their vendor had made clinical workflow improvements; and
• 33% said their vendor had made sufficient investments in population health management features that could help transition to value-based care models.

Doug Brown, managing partner at Black Book, said, "EHR firms with a wide offering of products including health information exchange, population health tools, revenue cycle management services, patient portals, dashboards and analytics are emerging as the next wave of health care technology leaders."

Overall EHR Satisfaction Findings

Meanwhile, the survey found that overall user satisfaction with EHRs has increased.

For example, 92% of multispecialty groups in 2013 said they were dissatisfied with their EHR products and vendors. However, the survey found that 71% of physicians surveyed in 2015 said their vendor was "meeting or exceeding" expectations.

In addition, 82% of administrative staff said their practice management and EHR software has experienced operational or financial capability improvements.

Meanwhile, just 18% of providers said they were planning to replace their EHR by 2016.

Still, more than 25% of respondents said their vendors had not made efforts to improve EHR implementation and training processes.

The survey also found that:

• 71% of respondents who had implemented an EHR before the end of 2012 reported high levels of dissatisfaction with their systems; and
• 38% of primary care and specialty providers in large practices said they have not yet returned to pre-EHR productivity levels (EHR Intelligence, 8/19).