What is an Electronic Health Record System?

(Published in 2011)

Health is one of the major fundamental requirements of mankind. Every religion has emphasized the importance of the health to the human being and accordingly the value given to the healer’s role is enormous in every culture.

A health care provider, an individual or an institution, that provides preventive, curative, promotional or rehabilitative health care services in a systematic way to individuals, families or communities, is an essential element of every community.

Paper-based records have been in existence for centuries helping the healers to heal the ill more efficiently. Even Hippocrates had used medical records in the fifth century B. C. As the information technology is invading every possible field that exists today, the paper-based medical records are slowly but steadily been replaced by computer-based records. Although computerised information systems have not achieved the same degree of penetration in healthcare as that seen in other sectors such as finance, manufacturing and transport industries, it is only a matter of time to see physicians count on electronic health records systems instead of straggling to get details of their patients searching bundles of paper-based clinical notes.

While there are many accepted definitions of Electronic Health Record Systems, most agree to the definition by the Health Information management Systems Society’s (HIMSS) stated below. (1)

“The Electronic Health Record (EHR) is a longitudinal electronic record of patient health information generated by one or more encounters in any care delivery setting. Included in this information are patient demographics, progress notes, problems, medications, vital signs, past medical history, immunizations, laboratory data and radiology reports. The EHR automates and streamlines the clinician’s workflow. The EHR has the ability to generate a complete record of a clinical patient encounter – as well as supporting other care-related activities directly or indirectly via interface – including evidence-based decision support, quality management, and outcomes reporting.” (2)