Epic and Cerner automation: RPA technology
Tags: webdev, ai, productivity, automation
Published: 2024-05-13 07:27:46

_This post is a quick overview of an Abto Software [blog article](https://www.abtosoftware.com/blog/epic-and-cerner-automation-rpa-technology)._

To date, the modern-day healthcare industry is one of the most multiplex and data-driven among segments. And there’s one thing that most healthcare providers now have in common – they utilize EHR & EMR software, in particular Epic and Cerner systems, to manage data efficiently.

But what is it about these two platforms that leaves healthcare professionals feeling burdened and unsatisfied about their everyday workflows?

## Epic vs Cerner platforms – what are these exactly?

Epic and Cerner systems are the most prominent electronic health record systems in the healthcare landscape. Both provide essential functionality, which involves data management and sharing, clinical documentation, mobile access, decision support, and more.

But what’s the difference?

Epic’s main client base are established, large-scale facilities that place great emphasis on remote patient care. The system has 39% market share by beds in the United States, is intuitive in usage, but also quite complicated to implement and unsatisfying if speaking about customization.

Cerner serves a range of different scale clients and provides secure access to up-to-date patient information. This system has 29% market share in the United States by beds, is much less intuitive, but not that complicated to implement and also more popular among facilities that utilize third-party integrations. 

## Epic vs Cerner unraveled: most recent market insights

EHR software is an essential instrument for optimizing healthcare operations, in particular data management. EHR systems are implemented for simplified information management and sharing, clinical documentation, and other routine processes.

**Epic and Cerner systems are today’s market leaders with 50% of the market share.**

As to the most recent report by Market.US, Epic is the leader among today’s technology providers in 2024:

- Epic corporation serves over 250 million patients worldwide
- It’s trusted by over 250 thousand healthcare professionals
- The company has reported a robust annual revenue of about $3.4 billion
- Epic EHR is used to manage over 60% of electronic health records in the United States 

As to the same 2024 report by Market.US, Cerner is not too far behind:

- Cerner corporation is used by over 27 thousand healthcare facilities all over the world
- It’s trusted by over 125 thousand healthcare professionals
- The organization has reported a substantial annual revenue of around $5.5 billion
- Cerner electronic health record is deployed in about 35 countries – an extensive global reach 

## Healthcare automation – work smarter, not harder

Healthcare operations – data and document management in particular – are monotonous and reduplicative. Patient registration, appointment scheduling, data processing, document and prescription management – these operations require hours of labor. 

Those leaders delaying modernization are missing out future-proofing and potential competitive advantage. Increased time and cost, decreased performance, employee dissatisfaction, and challenges with compliance are just some problems worth expecting if relying on traditionally handled processes.

RPA implementation is the best-suiting solution to achieve greater performance without disruption.

**In fact, the global healthcare automation market size has reached $35.2 billion in 2022.**

## Healthcare automation becoming inevitable

As to an older yet depictive McKinsey study, about 50% of global work activities can be successfully automated. More specifically, those tasks most susceptible to automation are activities in highly structured environments – the operations in the healthcare industry, government, manufacturing, and others.

As to an illustrative Fact.MR report of 2023:

- **The global healthcare automation solutions market was valued $38.6 million in 2023**
- **The demand is estimated to reach $94 billion by 2033**

## RPA in healthcare practices: why extend Epic and Cerner systems

### Confusing workflows

Epic and Cerner both have reportedly confusing workflows, where navigation through features is challenging. That might cause problems associated with user frustration, reluctant adoption, and even data inconsistency. 

A solution – RPA technology.

### Complicated documentation

Another shortcoming – Epic and Cerner systems are characterized by abundantly complicated documentation. That might increase time and cost, decrease accuracy, and hinder regulatory compliance.

RPA integration can become the solution to challenges across operations, and documentation in particular.

### Burdensome customization

When speaking about aligning with specific industry requirements, the systems are complicated to customize. The applications are characterized by rather complicated configuration, deteriorated performance, and other unpleasant shortcomings.

### Problematic maintenance 

Updates, patches, efficiently addressing technical issues – the systems also present substantial shortcomings. That means, the applications might cause disrupted workflows, system downtime, and degraded data integrity.

## RPA for healthcare leaders: key processes to automate 

RPA software can be easily implemented to ensure smooth workflows:

- Data entry and documentation 
- Appointment scheduling and reminders
- Authorization processes and referrals 
- Account management and permission 
- Task prioritization and assignment
- Report generation and distribution

RPA solutions can be also integrated to enable straightforward documentation:

- Data entry and documentation 
- Data extraction and integration
- Documentation management
- Documentation review and sign-off
- Template creation and customization
- Version control and updates

Simplified customization is another potential application for automation:

- User interface preferences customization
- System setting preferences customization
- Role-based access control implementation
- Account management and permissions
- The creation of custom documentation templates
- The approval of custom template changes

Speaking about straightforward maintenance, there’s also much room for automation:

- Software updates and patches
- Database optimization and cleanup
- Performance monitoring and alerts
- Data backup and recovery

## Summing up

Abto Software has the required expertise to empower healthcare organizations by leveraging RPA technology. Our engineers can handle every stage from discovery to deployment and support to help healthcare companies discover opportunities coming with RPA integration.

Don’t wait to transform your operations – act now!