Electronic Medical Record

What is an Electronic Medical Record (EMR)?

An electronic medical record (EMR) is a digital version of a paper chart that contains all of a patient’s medical history from one practice. An EMR is mostly used by providers for diagnosis and treatment.

Benefits of Electronic Medical Record (EMR)

An EMR is more beneficial than paper records because it allows providers to: 

• Track data over time. 
• Identify patients who are due for preventive visits and screenings. 
• Monitor how patients measure up to certain parameters, such as vaccinations and blood pressure readings. 
• Improve overall quality of care in a practice 

The information stored in EMRs is not easily shared with providers outside of a practice. A patient’s record might even have to be printed out and delivered by mail to specialists and other members of the care team.

Technical features 

• Digital formatting enables information to be used and shared over secure networks. 
• Track care (e.g. prescriptions) and outcomes (e.g. blood pressure). 
• Trigger warnings and reminders. 
• Send and receive orders, reports, and results. 

Health Information Exchange
• Technical and social framework that enables information to move electronically between organizations. 
• Reporting to public health.  
• ePrescribing. 
• Sharing laboratory results with providers.