Enterprise Lab Vendor vs. Enterprise-Wide EMR Solutions: The True Value Behind Best-of-Breed
by Michelle Del Guercio | September 1, 2020 | Blog
As health systems move further into value-based care and experience new testing and technology demands alongside deeper revenue shortfalls fueled by disease outbreaks, the pitfalls of replacing best-of-breed lab systems with enterprise-wide system (EWS) modules have never been more pronounced. Many who transition to EWS (and an EHR/EMR with a patchwork of add-on applications) do so under the assumption it will save money and streamline vendor contracting, only to find that replacing best-of-breed lab technology quickly leads to interoperability issues, new gaps in care, service interruptions, and other drawbacks that require significant post-implementation expenses, contracts and staff hours to overcome.
Lab operations are the key to success in a value-based model, which means multi-lab networking, uninterrupted connectivity and high reliability are paramount. With best-of-breed systems and vendor support, laboratories have tremendous potential to drive predictive modeling for population health planning and for uncovering new clinical strategies that decrease lengths of stay, reduce readmissions, improve patient safety and advance preventive medicine to slow disease progression.
Consider the opportunity costs (often tens of millions of dollars) of changing out a system that already works extremely well. Rather than spending time and money migrating to EWS and patching the holes it will create, why not maintain best-of-breed laboratory operations and invest instead in strategic priorities that improve patient care – many of which your best-of-breed laboratory is already well-equipped to support? Below, we explore six important reasons why best-of-breed solutions deliver greater value on your investment and stronger advantages toward achieving your health system’s strategic imperatives.
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One partner means just one hand to shake, versus a disjointed system of third-party vendors.
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Sunquest solutions are truly end-to-end – one vendor, one contract and one maintenance agreement is all you need for even the most complex lab operations across your enterprise. Our fully integrated laboratory enterprise suite encompasses clinical, anatomic pathology and molecular laboratory testing and workflow, including ambulatory/outreach business, as well as blood banking and transfusion management. Sunquest solutions unify processes and data, driving results-oriented workflows through improved collaboration and coordination with enterprise EHRs or multiple EHR systems. In addition, Sunquest solutions include built-in instrument connectivity and management through Data Innovations® Instrument Manager™, and at every point, Sunquest customers receive the advantages of business continuity, vision and support from experts who know the laboratory inside and out.
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About the author

Michelle Del Guercio
Vice President, Marketing
Michelle’s passion for healthcare, with specific focus on the laboratory, started with her first job as a specimen courier. Now, as an industry veteran with more than 30 years’ experience, her passion is fueled by providing healthcare organizations with practical and strategic methods in which they can utilize enterprise laboratory solutions to support the success of their organization – and drive towards better patient care.