Electronic Health Record Systems Becoming More Affordable for Small Group Practices, Finds AAFP Survey

The American Academy of Family Physicians' (AAFP) Center for Health Information Technology (CHiT) announced today the availability of the Partners for Patients Electronic Health Record (EHR) Vendor Survey. This survey reveals that ownership costs of an EHR for small practices is approaching affordability and EHR companies' sales growth in 2004 was substantial. The costs associated with an EHR still represent a significant purchase for primary care doctors, but survey data shows that the average total cost of ownership for a typical three-doctor practice -- under $10,000 per doctor per year -- is approaching affordability for a large segment of the small medical practice market.

Additionally, the 27 companies surveyed that sell integrated or stand-alone EHRs currently license 85,094 physicians -- approximately 12 percent of all practicing U.S. physicians -- to use those products. The 14 companies that provided 2004 sales data indicated average increases of 15 percent above 2003 sales.

"This is good news," said David Kibbe, M.D., AAFP director of the Center for Health Information Technology. "Costs of EHRs are coming down, and sales are going up. The discussion between Information Technology vendors and family physicians about the value proposition for health IT products has never been stronger."

This survey of three dozen EHR vendors, conducted in late 2004, is one of the first to provide physicians with product marketing data at no cost. The survey data also includes vendor user base information, new sales in 2004, demographic data about the company and its year of entry into the health information technology market.

"I am very grateful to the Partners for Patients companies because they understand that transparent market information, such as sales and pricing, is good for the EHR industry and good for the customer in small medical practices," said Kibbe. "We hope this study encourages larger, more detailed research into this emerging market in the near future."