According a new report from the Orem, Utah-based research firm, KLAS, cardiology IT providers are still in search of the “holy grail of integration, functionality, and comprehensive modules.” The report, Cardiology IT 2012: Fitting the Pieces Together, looked at the insights of more than 570 providers, and found that certain vendors (McKesson, Merge, Philips, and Siemens) have done better in fitting providers’ needs than others, but none are perfect.

 “Though no vendor handles every provider desire with ease, some are closer to meeting those needs than others,” Monique Rasband, cardiology research director and author of the report, said in a statement. “Most providers are anxious to be able to work with one vendor who has the needed modules and functional strength to make their physicians, clinical users, and integration successful. Providers who wish to cover several modalities while going to a single vendor are left wanting more. However, those going with McKesson, Merge, Philips, or Siemens seem to feel they are getting closer to their target.”

KLAS divided the vendors into three tiers: those who are together for high performance and deeper provider adoption, those who have high performance with lower adoption, and those vendors with both lower performance and lower adoption. Tier-one vendors, the best of the bunch, scored high because providers were pleased with other aspects of their vendor’s service and system.