Epic Systems just revealed that its new EHR, dubbed Sonnet, will be available in March 2018 and its new implementation tool Utility is already being used.

Epic CEO Judy Faulkner first mentioned Sonnet at HIMSS17, when she described it as a slimmer version of the Epic EHR one might see in many large healthcare systems today.

Sonnet has fewer modules and a reduced feature scope, Epic spokeswoman Meghan Roh said. “Sonnet provides the benefits of a robust, integrated EHR at a lower price point.”

[Also: Epic CEO Judy Faulkner reveals two new EHR versions are in development]

That lower price means Epic will now be effectively competing with smaller electronic health records vendors, most notably athenahealth and eClinicalWorks, in that market segment.

Sonnet is designed for small hospitals, small physician groups, post-acute care facilities, and some international organizations, Roh said. It uses what Epic refers to as the short Compact Method for install.

Utility has been in play since the fourth quarter of 2017, with those projects slated to go live in 2018. The goal is to give customers a choice that is right for them, Roh said.

 “It is for organizations that want fast installs that utilize our best practice ready-to-use designs with minimal modification.”

Faulkner explained during an interview at HIMSS17 that Epic is a long poem and Sonnet is a shorter poem, and that she personally names all the products, including the full Epic offering “All-Terrain.”

Twitter: @Bernie_HITN
Email the writer: bernie.monegain@himssmedia.com