I Am a MEDITECH MAGIC Hospital

It's interesting to see how motivations change over time. In a new report, KLAS looks at acute care EMR buying trends—not through the usual rear-view mirror of history, but through the eyes of providers looking down the road. 

The original buying wave (2005-2008) was fueled by proactive organizations that were attempting to improve care and boost efficiency. In 2009, a second buying wave was spurred when meaningful use demanded industry-wide EMR adoption. The current buying wave (2013-2016) is being fueled by the replacement of outdated technology and system consolidation. Hundreds of hospitals are using legacy platforms (most notably McKesson Horizon and MEDITECH MAGIC) and expect they will need to upgrade in the next few years.

This makes me realize that I'm in a predicament when it comes to my car. I drive a 1997 Nissan Maxima with well over 300,000 miles on it. I think my situation is pretty similar to many hospitals running the MEDITECH MAGIC EMR, and here’s how:

• It's not the prettiest car in the parking lot, but it’s been reliable and works remarkably well considering its age.
• I'm attached to it. It’s been a faithful steed for years. And wouldn’t it be neat to reach 400,000 miles?
• I'm not interested in a new car payment. Aren’t there enough demands already?

At the same time, the Maxima is showing its age. Problems pop up here and there. It's not as comfortable as it could be, and I don't want to be stuck on the side of the highway while the rest of the world zooms past me. (Don’t even ask my teenage daughter for her opinion of my ride.) 

But just like hospitals across the country, I’ve got a decision to make and many options to choose from if I do decide to replace. One real-life CIO observed:

We will be moving up to the next version of MAGIC Patient Care Inquiry here shortly, but for after that, we are looking around to see what else is available. We are wondering whether we can move to MEDITECH's newest version or Paragon, but given the costs associated with such a high-stakes move, we will really be in a holding pattern until we become more sure of our decision. MAGIC Patient Care Inquiry has been good for us over the years, but we really need to move to something that has a stronger future.

For more perspective on where hospitals are heading and which vendors are on their road maps, see our report Acute Care EMR 2014: The Next Buying Wave.