Market for EMRs forecast to reach $5.4B by 2015

The North American market for EMR systems will grow to $5.4 billion annually by 2015, according to a forecast from Global Industry Analysts. By contrast, European spending on EMRs will reach just $1.4 billion by 2015, GIA reports.

Curiously, the report does not mention the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which is pumping about $25 billion into the U.S. health IT industry over the next eight years in the form of Medicare and Medicaid bonus payments to providers for EMR usage. Instead, San Jose, Calif.-based GIA cites greater provider realization that EMRs improve efficiency and patient satisfaction by facilitating better communication between clinical staff.

GIA does note that growth will come largely from physician practices and small and rural hospitals. "There are prolific opportunities in less-penetrated markets as physician practices and inpatient centers continue to adopt electronic medical records and digitize relevant areas. Though the operating costs are high and continue to increase, providers are sizing up their portfolio for better positioning in the future," the report says, according to Healthcare IT News.

Key vendors in this growth spurt will include Agfa-Gevaert (which doesn't sell EMRs in the United States), Cerner, Eclipsys, Epic Systems, GE Healthcare, Hewlett-Packard, Australia's iSoft Group, McKesson, MDS Medical Software, MedPlus, Meditech, Medasys SA of France, Germany's Nexus AG, QuadraMed and Siemens Medical Solutions, CMIO reports.

For more information:
- read this Healthcare IT News story
- take a look at this CMIO article

Related Articles:
Study: EMR market should grow 14 percent annually through 2012
HP, McKesson to offer bundled EHR packages to small practices

Post a comment