Deloitte, a parent legal firm that provides audit, advisory and technology services, introduced a new service that it says helps lower the cost of implementing an EHR.
The product, called Evergreen, is a consulting and analytics service to aid EHR implementation. The company claims it can save an organization up to 30 percent on implementation and long-term costs through consultations on the tools and use required of an organization's EHR.
Catholic Health Initiatives in Englewood, Colo., used Evergreen for its implementation of Epic's EHR system, according to a news release. Any savings would be a welcome relief for many practices and organizations — the average cost of implementing an EHR system is between $15,000 and $70,000 per provider, according to the ONC. As interoperability requirements become stricter and systems need updating, these costs may grow.
"Healthcare is an industry looking for tools and direction on how to make the transition to population health," said Mitch Morris, principal at Deloitte Consulting and Deloitte's global healthcare leader. "We anticipate that providers in the U.S. and abroad will be very receptive to an approach that makes EHRs more relevant to their missions."