Overview
Epic Systems is the largest EHR vendor by patient records. The company was founded in 1979 in a basement with three half-time employees and describes itself as employee-owned and developer-led; it states it has never made an acquisition and invests 35% of operating expenses in research and development.[1] Its campus and headquarters are at 1979 Milky Way, Verona, Wisconsin.[2]
More than 325 million patients have a current electronic record in Epic, and the software is used in academic medical centres, community hospitals, hospices, urgent care, payers and patients’ homes.[1] The company reports that it has been ranked the top overall software suite by the research firm KLAS for 16 consecutive years.[1]
Epic’s main strength is a single database spanning inpatient, outpatient, revenue cycle and patient-facing tools, which reduces interfaces inside a health system and gives patients one portal across settings. Its scale also produces a large network of connected organisations for record exchange. The drawbacks are those of any enterprise system: implementation takes months to years, requires substantial internal IT staff, and contracts are negotiated privately with no published prices. Smaller practices usually access Epic through an affiliated health system’s community programme rather than buying it directly.
Epic features
- Single database across inpatient and ambulatory care
- Revenue cycle and payer modules
- Patient portal and mobile access
- Used in hospice, urgent care and home settings
- Developed in-house with no acquired products
Epic pricing
Quote-based. Epic does not publish prices; contracts are negotiated with each organisation and include implementation services.
Epic strengths and limitations
Strengths
- Largest installed base of patient records
- One database across care settings
- Heavy reinvestment in R&D
- Broad network for record exchange
Limitations
- No published pricing
- Long, resource-heavy implementations
- Built for large organisations rather than small practices
- Requires dedicated internal IT staff
Appears in
Epic alternatives and competitors
Alternatives to Epic: companies ranked in the same lists.
- Oracle
MEDITECH Expanse
athenaOne (athenahealth)- eClinicalWorks
- NextGen Healthcare
Greenway Health
AdvancedMD
Tebra
Elation Health
Practice Fusion
DrChrono- CharmHealth
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