Remember the eClinicalWorks settlement from earlier this summer? The Westborough, Massachusetts-based company and some of its employees were told to pay $155 million to resolve a False Claims Act lawsuit, which claimed the vendor falsely said its software met Meaningful Use requirements.
The suit allegations were severe: eClinicalWorks misrepresented the abilities of its software and paid kickbacks of at least $392,000 to specific customers in exchange for promoting its product.
With the Rise of AI, What IP Disputes in Healthcare Are Likely to Emerge?
Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.
Meanwhile, eClinicalWorks said it did no wrong.
The news shook the world of health IT for a bit, as providers were left feeling unsettled and wary of EHR vendors. After a time, though, the novelty of the news wore off.
But what are the long-term effects of the hefty settlement? Reaction Data, a software company, surveyed 113 individuals to find out.
The majority of survey participants — 81 percent — were physicians. Other responders included practice administrators, office managers, CIOs and directors of operations.
A Personalized Approach to Medication Nonadherence
At the Abarca Forward conference earlier this year, George Van Antwerp, managing director at Deloitte, discussed how social determinants of health and a personalized member experience can improve medication adherence and health outcomes.
The survey unveiled some surprising findings about the impact of the settlement. More than half of the participants — both eClinicalWorks customers and non-customers — had no idea it even occurred.
But among those who did know about the settlement, it clearly made a difference. Eleven percent of current eClinicalWorks clients said they will finish their contract with eCW and then search for a new EHR vendor, and 4 percent plan to terminate their contract early. The largest portion — 48 percent — indicated they plan to finish out their contract and then reevaluate the situation.
On the other hand, 15 percent of eCW customers said they plan to stick with the vendor, and 22 percent said the settlement doesn’t affect their relationship with eCW. As one survey participant put it: “We are still moving from our current platform to eClinicalWorks.”
The settlement also seems to have deterred non-eClinicalWorks customers from selecting the EHR vendor going forward. Seventy-one percent said they are extremely unlikely to consider eCW in the future.
Overall, the situation has at least slightly increased skepticism among providers. Twenty-seven percent of respondents noted the settlement has decreased their confidence in their current EHR vendor. And 35 percent said they’re now significantly more suspicious of other EHR vendors.
“Not crazy about any of the EHR vendors,” one respondent wrote in the survey. Another expressed doubt about eClinicalWorks claiming innocence: “While not admitting guilt overtly, it seems that a large settlement is an admission of something.”
As time goes by, perhaps providers will regain confidence in EHR vendors. But for right now, this survey proves that their trust seems to have been slightly broken.
Photo: Dmitrii_Guzhanin, Getty Images
