One-third of physician practices and community health clinics are poised to replace their electronic medical record systems, according to research firm KLAS. The replacement surge sets up Allscripts, eClinicalWorks, Epic and NextGen for new business, KLAS reports.

Ambulatory EMR sales – both first-time and replacement – have shot up again over the last year, and though options are more plentiful than ever, healthcare providers are leaning toward the tried-and-true, according to a new report by KLAS.

For the report, Ambulatory EMR: Win Rates, Replacements and Provider Loyalty, KLAS conducted nearly 400 provider interviews to identify the ambulatory market's purchasing trends and interest in various EMR products.

"Replacements of existing ambulatory EMRs are happening at an alarming rate," said Mark Wagner, KLAS director of ambulatory research and author of the report. "Overall, 35 percent of all providers interviewed for this report are replacing their existing EMRs. This includes nearly a third of the smallest practices, as well as 43 percent of groups with 100-plus physicians."

[See also: CMS counts 21,000-plus providers registering for EHR incentives .]

According to the report, healthcare professionals are turning to vendors they perceive as enduring and stable. Allscripts, eClinicalWorks, Epic and NextGen represent the best-known and most considered vendors in the study.

"Despite the perceived safety of more well-known solutions, the overall pool of vendors considered by providers is broader this year than in any previous report," Wagner said. "However, though many providers are attracted to the specialized features and workflows of some lesser-known products, they most often opt for the security of an established brand name. Providers believe these vendors will survive the transition to the meaningful-use future."

[See also: KLAS: Electronic order sets popular with providers.]

In KLAS' report, Ambulatory EMR: Win Rates, Replacements, and Provider Loyalty, the most popular vendor was Allscripts, considered in 16 percent of deals; it was followed by Epic (12 percent) and NextGen (10 percent). The report also highlights AdvancedMD, athenahealth, Cerner, eClinicalWorks, e-MDs, GE Healthcare, Greenway, McKesson and Sage.