Why would community pathology groups choose a SaaS product over a traditional software package??

1.  TCO

When doing a cost comparison between software products, one should factor in computer/server hardware, network, disaster recovery, backup mechanisms, IT support, and third party software to name a few.  SaaS products eliminate the capital expenditures and include many of these items within their environment at a fixed monthly subscription rate offering a more attractive total cost of ownership.

2.  Shift and move

SaaS products provide the ability to change and change quickly.  Pathology labs play a critical role in healthcare  and are being asked to support the continually changing technology trends (EHR adoption) of their referring physicians.  The SaaS environment allows the pathology group to shift and move. 

3.  Open

System integration is a pre-requisite for community pathology groups to support their referring physicians and compete against the mega-labs (Quest, LabCorp, etc.)  SaaS systems are typically built on more open architectures that are conducive to higher quality/quantity  integration options.

What are some other reasons SaaS makes sense? 

What are some reasons, some pathology groups or other healthcare providers are holding off on adopting SaaS?