What is Allscripts?
Allscripts is a former vendor of electronic health record (EHR) systems and healthcare IT solutions, primarily serving physician practices, hospitals, and healthcare systems. Based in Chicago, the company was originally known as Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc. and became a major player in the health IT industry through a series of acquisitions and mergers.
Founded in 1986, Allscripts initially sold prepackaged medications for physicians to dispense at the point of care. It launched its first software product, an e-prescribing system, in 1998. Over the years, the company expanded into EHRs, practice management, population health, and precision medicine through several acquisitions, including:
- 2001, 2006, and 2008. Added EHR and care management capabilities.
- 2008 merger. Combined with Misys Healthcare Systems LLC to become Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions Inc.
- 2017 acquisition of McKesson's hospital EHR business. Brought in the Paragon EHR platform and expanded its hospital market share.
- 2015 equity deal with NantHealth. Broadened its reach in genomics and patient engagement technologies.
Allscripts EHR systems and solutions
Allscripts offered a range of clinical and operational software products designed for various healthcare environments:
- Allscripts Professional EHR. Tailored for small and medium-sized physician practices.
- Allscripts TouchWorks. Designed for large, multispecialty physician groups.
- Allscripts Sunrise: An integrated EHR platform for hospitals and health systems, featuring modules for emergency care, surgery, wound management, and ambulatory clinics.
- FollowMyHealth. A patient engagement portal that enables secure access to personal health information.
- CareInMotion. A platform for population health management and value-based care coordination.
- 2bPrecise. A subsidiary offering precision medicine tools, including clinical decision support and genomic data integration.
Allscripts also provided:
- Revenue cycle management and third-party practice management system integrations.
- Consulting services for workflow optimization, IT infrastructure migration, application management, and hosting.
Allscripts e-prescribing solutions
The company's ePrescribe software allowed for:
- Electronic prescribing for controlled substances (EPCS).
- Electronic prior authorization (ePA).
- Specialty medication access services.
- Medication adherence tracking.
These tools were compatible with Allscripts EHR platforms and select third-party systems, broadening their applicability in diverse clinical environments.
Allscripts' competitive landscape
Allscripts competed with major healthcare IT vendors, including:
- Epic Systems.
- Oracle Cerner (formerly Cerner Corp.).
- Meditech.
- AthenaHealth.
- eClinicalWorks.
- Greenway Health.
- NextGen Healthcare.
Following the 2017 acquisition of McKesson's 4 Paragon EHR, Allscripts was ranked among the top three hospital EHR vendors by revenue, trailing only Epic and Cerner.
Recent Allscripts developments and divestitures
In recent years, Allscripts has restructured and divested several core assets:
- In 2020, it sold its EPSi business (financial decision support tools) to Strata Decision Technology.
- In 2022, Allscripts announced the sale of its hospital and large physician practice business to Harris Computer Corporation for up to $700 million.
- The company retained its Veradigm division, which focuses on ambulatory EHRs, data analytics, payer solutions, and life sciences research.
Today, Allscripts is doing business under the Veradigm brand, reflecting a renewed focus on data-driven healthcare solutions rather than enterprise EHR platforms.
Allscripts usage and market presence
At its peak, Allscripts software was used by:
- 180,000 physicians.
- 45,000 physician practices.
- 2,500 hospitals.
- 19,000 post-acute agencies.
- 100,000 electronic prescribing physicians.
- 40,000 in-home clinicians.
- 7.2 million patients through FollowMyHealth.
These figures positioned Allscripts as a major provider in the U.S. healthcare IT market.
Allscripts transition to Veradigm
Allscripts' shift toward a data-centric model culminated in the emergence of Veradigm as its primary business identity. Veradigm integrates payer, provider, and life sciences data to support real-world evidence generation, quality reporting, clinical research, and value-based care.
The Veradigm platform provides:
- Analytics tools for providers and payers.
- Life sciences data services.
- EHR solutions focused on ambulatory care.
- Clinical decision support and interoperability features.
This pivot reflects a broader industry trend of moving from legacy EHR platforms toward integrated data ecosystems that power insights and improve outcomes.
Allscripts legacy impact and industry contribution
Allscripts played a foundational role in shaping modern EHR usage in the U.S. Through its early adoption of e-prescribing, efforts in precision medicine, and modular EHR design, the company influenced best practices in clinical documentation, population health, and interoperability.
Its legacy includes:
- Pioneering the integration of clinical decision support into routine EHR workflows.
- Advancing physician connectivity through tools like FollowMyHealth.
- Helping expand precision medicine capabilities through its 2bPrecise subsidiary.
Even as its name fades in favor of Veradigm, Allscripts' contributions remain visible in healthcare technology infrastructures across many provider organizations.
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