[April 15, 2014]

IDC Health Insights Evaluates U.S. Population Health Management in New IDC MarketScape Report

IDC Health Insights today announced the availability of a new report, IDC MarketScape: U.S. Population Health Management (Doc #HI247880), designed to help healthcare executives define the emerging and often confusing population health management market. According to the study, vendors report a very active 2013 in terms of new clients, which IDC (News - Alert) Health Insights believes will continue for the next 18 to 24 months. IDC Health Insights expects to see advances in analytics and patient engagement strategies, as the industry has realized the critical nature of data in accomplishing the goals of the Triple Aim. Vendors evaluated in this report include: Covicint, eClinicalWorks, Explorys, Kryptiq, Lumeris, McKesson, Medecision, Optum, The Advisory Board Company, and Wellcentive.

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"While population health management is an emerging market, the vendors in this market are stable with most having been acquired by larger vendors who recognized this as a high-growth opportunity, offering critical tools and processes to enable population health management," said Cynthia Burghard, Research Director, Accountable Care IT Strategies.

Market dynamics have driven the emergence of the population health management market, which is defined differently depending on whom you are speaking to. One of the drivers to create this IDC MarketScape is to establish a common definition and vendor inclusion criteria to provide clarity to healthcare executives before investing in technology.

Key findings from the report include:

• Population health management as defined by IDC Health Insights includes functionality to identify populations at risk or predicted to be at future risk, the ability to create and monitor care plans, and finally the ability to communicate with communities of patients as well as with individual patients.
• While this is an emerging market, it is also a very active market with a number of vendors reporting the addition of 10-15 new clients in 2013.
• Physician group practices represent the majority of clients inthis market, with integrated delivery systems and payers representing a smaller share of the market.
• Differentiators include the depth and breadth of analytic capability (patient risk identification and performance measurement), the degree of integration with Electronic Health Records, and the sophistication of care plan development. The ability to have data driven but configurable care paths is an efficient way to begin the care planning process.
• While there are a few Leaders identified the market demands are so dynamic that we will likely see new entrants. With the exclusion of just two vendors, the rest of the vendors are owned by companies with multiple healthcare applications or horizontal technology suppliers. As a result consolidation of the market is likely to be slow.

According to IDC Health Insights, it is critical that buyers articulate their business goals before they select a vendor. Vendors in this IDC MarketScape have strength in different aspects of population health and it is critical for buyers to align themselves with the vendors that will meet their requirements.

Other guidance for buyers include:

• Clearly articulate, quantify and document your organization's business goals and assess the organizations ability to take on population health
• Remember that a vendors' strength is typically in its heritage
• Keep in mind that the decision on a vendor is as much a business decision as an IT decision
• Population health management combines payer and provider domain expertise; make sure your vendor has both capabilities

IDC MarketScape criteria selection, weightings, and vendor scores represent well-researched IDC judgment about the market and specific vendors. IDC analysts tailor the range of standard characteristics by which vendors are measured through structured discussions, surveys, and interviews with market leaders, participants and end users. Market weightings are based on user interviews, buyer surveys and the input of a review board of IDC experts in each market. IDC analysts base individual vendor scores, and ultimately vendor positions within the IDC MarketScape, on detailed surveys and interviews with the vendors, publicly available information and end-user experiences in an effort to provide an accurate and consistent assessment of each vendor's characteristics, behavior and capability.

For additional information about this report or to arrange a one-on-one briefing with Cynthia Burghard, please contact Sarah Murray at 781-378-2674 or [email protected]. Reports are available to qualified members of the media. For information on purchasing reports, contact [email protected]; reporters should email [email protected].

About IDC MarketScapes

IDC MarketScape vendor analysis model is designed to provide an overview of the competitive fitness of IT, telecommunications, or industry-specific suppliers in a given market. The research methodology utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria that results in a single graphical illustration of each vendor's position within a given market. IDC MarketScape provides a clear framework in which the product and service offerings, capabilities and strategies, and current and future market success factors of IT, telecommunications, or industry-specific vendors can be meaningfully compared. The framework also provides technology buyers with a transparent foundation to allow companies to independently compare the strengths and weaknesses of current and prospective vendors.

About IDC Health Insights

IDC Health Insights assists health businesses and IT leaders, as well as the suppliers who serve them, in making more effective technology decisions by providing accurate, timely, and insightful fact-based research and consulting services. Staffed by senior analysts with decades of industry experience, our global research analyzes and advises on business and technology issues facing the payer, provider and life sciences industries. International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology market. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading technology, media, research, and events company. For more information, please visit www.idc-hi.com, email [email protected], or call 508-935-4445. Visit the IDC Health Insights Community at http://idc-community.com/health.

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