OB/GYN EHR Market Trends

Growth Drivers

• Increased investment in women’s health: Governments and organizations are promoting women’s health initiatives, leading to increased funding and focus on women-centric healthcare solutions. Investments can lead to advanced analytics capabilities with EHR’s, enabling providers to track and analyze health trends, outcomes, and patient demographics more effectively. Silicon Valley Bank's 2023 Women's Health report states that investments in women's health have increased 314% over the last five years, while overall U.S. healthcare investments have increased by 28%.
• Telehealth integration: Telehealth enables patients to access care remotely, making it easier for women to receive consultations, especially in undeserved areas. There is a growing acceptance of telehealth as a viable option for both patients and privders. According to the American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC) in January 2023, all four U.S. census regions—the Midwest (9.5%), the West (9.5%), the South (6.7%), and the Northeast (3.2%)—saw an increase in telehealth utilization.  
  
  EHRs that support telehealth can facilitate remote monitoring of conditions such as high-risk pregnancies, allowing for timely interventions. A telehealth platform integrated with an interoperable EHR system can contribute directly toward achieving better health outcomes, improved patient experience, lower costs, and improved clinician experience.
• Technological advancements: Several technological advancements streamline operations and also enhance the quality of care. Advancements that include artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms in diagnostics, risk assessment, and personalized treatment plans, improve clinical decision-making. Applications for patient education, appointment scheduling, and tracking health metrics promote patient engagement and self-management.
  
  Moreover, improved interoperability allows EHR systems to seamlessly share data across various healthcare platforms, enhancing care coordination. Also, devices that monitor vital signs and reproductive health data contribute to more comprehensive patient insights. For instance, according to a 2019 published report by the Journal of Medicine Internet Research (JMIR) stated that almost 20% women were willing to wear devices for pregnancy monitoring all the time or multiple times a day. This highlights the preference of some women to closely monitor their pregnancy.

Challenges

• High implementation costs: The cost associated with purchasing software, hardware, and infrastructure can be substantial, particularly for smaller practices. Training staff to effectively use new EHR systems adds to the overall cost, and prolonged training periods can disrupt patient care. Moreover, beyond initial costs, ongoing maintenance and updates can strain budgets, especially for practices with limited financial resources.
• Regulatory compliance: Keeping up with the evolving regulations requires significant resources, which can be overwhelming for smaller practices. Failure to comply can result in financial penalties, making practices wary of adopting EHRs that may not meet all regulatory standards.