IDC Pegs EHR Market for 2009-2015

The U.S. market for inpatient and outpatient electronic health records software was nearly $1.98 billion in 2009 and will steadily increase to $3.8 billion in 2015, according to a new report from research firm IDC Health Insights, Framingham, Mass.


The U.S. market for inpatient and outpatient electronic health records software was nearly $1.98 billion in 2009 and will steadily increase to $3.8 billion in 2015, according to a new report from research firm IDC Health Insights, Framingham, Mass.

For purposes of the market survey, the figures cover only software license and maintenance costs for products that meet or exceed meaningful use certification criteria.

Ambulatory electronic records software spending by all types of providers totaled $633.5 million in 2009 with IDC projecting the market at $1.41 billion in 2015. The Inpatient EHR software market was $1.34 billion in 2009, rising in 2015 to about $2.4 billion.

Meaningful use incentive payments, improving the quality of care and reducing costs are driving investments in EHRs, according to the IDC Health Insights. Other factors that could influence market growth include legal or legislatively mandated changes in the Accountable Care Act, provider consolidation that will require more sophisticated EHRs, and evolving care delivery and reimbursement models, among other issues.

The report, Business Strategy: U.S. Electronic Health and Medical Records 2009-2015--Meaningful Use Spending Forecast and Analysis, costs $4,500 and is available here.

--Joseph Goedert