The global ambulatory electronic health record (EHR) market is projected to reach $5.2 billion by 2021, up from $3.92 billion in 2016, driven by government support for the adoption of healthcare IT, growing usage of EHR solutions and the need to curtail healthcare costs, according to new research from MarketsandMarkets.
According to report, the ambulatory EHR market will experience a 5.8-percent growth rate during the forecast period.
The report examines both drivers of growth in the ambulatory EHR market as well as ongoing challenges that limits faster growth for the market. For instance, the report authors note that heavy infrastructure investments and the high cost of deployment are limiting the growth of the global ambulatory EHR market to a certain extent.
In the report, the market is segmented on the basis of application, delivery mode, practice size, end user, and region. On the basis of application, the report segments the market into practice management, patient management, e-prescribing, referral management, population health management, decision support, and health analytics. The practice management segment accounted for the largest share of the ambulatory EHR market in 2016.
“There are a wide range of advantages associated with practice management solutions, including increased efficiency of day-to-day operations, enhanced value of services provided to patients, and improved adherence to compliance requirements,” the report authors stated.
On the basis of delivery mode, the report segments the market into cloud-based solutions and on-premises solutions. In 2016, the cloud-based segment commanded the largest share of the global ambulatory EHR market, according to the report. “The market is mainly driven by the advantages associated with cloud-based solutions, which include flexibility and cost reduction in healthcare delivery,” the researchers wrote.
The report also examines the market based on practice size—large practices, small-to-medium practices, and solo practices. The report finds that the large practices segment commanded the largest share of the global ambulatory EHR market in 2016, “owing to factors such as the availability of capital investments, ability to handle the productivity challenges that are created by new EHR adoption, and ability to choose among vendors,” the report authors wrote.
With regard to end users, the hospital-owned ambulatory centers segment commanded the largest share of the global ambulatory EHR market in 2016, compared to independent centers, according to the report.
North America accounted for the largest share of the ambulatory EHR market in 2016. The report authors credit this to federal mandates as well as “the increasing geriatric population, collaboration between stakeholders, the need to curtail healthcare costs, payment deductions driving the adoption of EHR, conferences and workshops to raise awareness in the U.S., growing efforts to enhance healthcare delivery, and the adoption of digital recordkeeping in Canada.”
