Eclypsis and Cerner, electronic health record system vendors, are having difficulty penetrating the multispecialty practice market despite success in the single-specialty sphere. Both companies are likely unable to meet the more robust needs of multispecialty practices that are generally much larger than single-specialty groups. Multispecialty applications are more likely to require inter-practice collaboration, which means that it is more efficient to use the dominant electronic health record systems in the area (Everson & Adler-Milstein, 2016). As both Eclypsis and Cerner have yet to enter this market, it is likely that their products do not match the needs or budgets of multispecialty practices.
To penetrate the multispecialty market, Eclypsis will have to tailor its product to the needs and desires of more extensive medical practices. Currently, the electronic health record system sold by Eclypsis is likely not suitable for the market they seek to enter; thereby, it is crucial to understand what larger-scale medical practices seek. Research indicates that one of the main concerns is interoperability with other hospitals and practices (Andresen et al., 2017). Furthermore, larger medical institutions are expected to have an electronic health record system already, meaning that adopting a new structure comes with additional switching costs. Conversion expenses can be substantial, including software and hardware upgrades, as well as productivity losses as the staff is retrained. The literature suggests that price alone was enough for many practices to reject using or switching electronic health record systems (Andresen et al., 2017). For Eclipse to succeed, its product must be adjusted to meet the cost needs of multispecialty practices while also providing interoperability. Overall, this may mean a redesign of the Eclypsis product or an overhaul of the pricing system.
References
Andresen, P., Schussler, M., Sowards, K., & Coustasse, A. (2017). Why physicians switch electronic health record vendors, in business & health administration proceedings. Marshall Digital Scholar. Web.
Everson, J., & Adler-Milstein, J. (2016). Engagement in hospital health information exchange is associated with vendor marketplace dominance. Health Affairs, 35(7), 1286–1293. Web.