KLAS says: A CFO/COO dilemma: CFOs and COOs investing in a new LIS or deciding which LIS to keep because of hospital mergers or acquisitions traditionally face pressure from two different camps. The laboratory department wants the most feature-rich solution that improves lab productivity, while the IT department sees integration and clinical quality as a top priority. When the C-suite must replace the existing LIS, what LIS will best meet the organization's objectives? Is there a measurable difference in LIS solutions? If so, is commodity status a permanent state? Finally, some wonder if genomic capability is an LIS differentiator today. The primary purpose of this study is to help the C-suite make a better decision from research findings based upon the input of hundreds of peers at healthcare delivery organizations with over 200 beds. Which LIS vendor has deep functionality, easy-to-use software, every capability a lab needs, a competitive price, and easy integration with every existing CIS? Is there a best-of-breed LIS product that smart buyers will immediately recognize, making it an easy decision?
KLAS conducted hundreds of interviews and collected more than 1,300 product and vendor ratings to answer these questions. (The top five in the large and community categories are represented here.)
Antek—Antek has a strong solution and good support. Antek had the highest percentage of customers from community hospitals reporting that they would buy the system again.
Cerner—Cerner's mature product set easily wins when competing within their CIS client base. Other non-Cerner buyers see the product as full featured and best of breed. Better support, an improved UI, and easier care and feeding would position Cerner as the premier solution for providers.
McKesson—For clients heavily invested in McKesson's CIS solution, Horizon Lab is likely to get the nod if unique requirements don't stand in the way.
Meditech—Many end users dislike the inefficient UI and anxiously await v.6. Meditech meets the needs for most small to medium laboratories leveraging the integration that its customers enjoy. Meditech started in 1969 as an LIS vendor but is no longer included in non-Meditech LIS decisions; their standalone LIS clients are replacing Meditech.
Orchard—It is no surprise that 68 percent of respondents interviewed ranked Orchard as the best vendor they work with. Product quality, vendor responsiveness, the quality of upgrades, implementations, and system reporting are all things that Orchard excels at.
SCC—While the Soft suite of products offers comparatively strong functionality, higher costs than expected and poor management of customer relationships leave some SCC customers considering a new vendor; these weaknesses can also deter others from looking at SCC.
Siemens—Solid technology and UI are wins for the laboratory staff. Ease of implementation and support are wins for IT. Siemens needs to better care for community hospital clients. Recent acquisitions position Siemens to be a stronger player in the laboratory space.
Sunquest—Sunquest delivers a solid LIS solution with excellent product support. Being a best-of breed solution with a perceived outdated product results in most buyers looking first and primarily at their enterprise vendor's offering. Sunquest spans the large and community hospital markets, while also meeting most outreach requirements.
