Providers have chosen their favorite healthcare IT vendors in a market research firm's annual survey, and Epic Systems Corp., Verona, Wis., came out as the preferred software vendor in eight of 23 categories.

Orem, Utah-based research firm KLAS Enterprises said its 2012 winners were based on interviews with almost 20,000 providers.

Epic's suite of products won in categories including acute-care EHR, ambulatory EHR (medium and large physician practices), pharmacy, radiology and patient accounting and patient management. Providers also named Epic the No.1 overall software vendor, software suite vendor and physician practice vendor.

Providers chose Athenahealth as their favorite vendor in three of the 23 categories, making it the second-most decorated software vendor. The Watertown, Mass.-based company took top honors in ambulatory EHR (small physician practices) and practice management (small and medium physician practices.)

Impact Advisors, Naperville, Ill., was named top overall services vendor, winning two top designations out of 12 services categories: clinical implementation principal and planning and assessment. Cerner Corp., Kansas City, Mo., also took home awards for application hosting and IT outsourcing (extensive).