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EMR (Electronic Medical Records) and EHR (Electronic Health Records) are the two major key words which gained more attention after the United States president Barack Obama signed the healthcare IT stimulus package which will be spending around $150 billion on healthcare initiatives including the computerization of medical reports across hospitals nationwide. Though the two words, EMR and EHR are different, people use these terms synonymously and some of the software vendors also follow the same. In such a scenario, the need for understanding the difference between the two terms are significant.

EMR ( Electronic medical Records)

EMR refers to software that enables healthcare providers to collect, create, store, edit, retrieve and transfer patient information and records. EMR digitalizes patient record documentation, storage and retrieval process. A successful EMR implementation enables a medical practices to replace paper bundles with electronically stored information. An EMR domain may composed of Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS), Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE), Patient Information Management System, Clinical Data Repository and other pharmacy and laboratory applications documentations. Healthcare experts correlates  EHR to a global concept and EMR to a localized record. EMR is used by healthcare practitioners to document, monitor and manage patient care within the Care Delivery Organization (CDO); and is held by the particular CDO. And the information in the EMR is considered as the legal record of the entire medical activities of a patient in that CDO.

EHR ( Electronic Health Records)

EHR can be made up of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) from many destinations and/or sources. EHR can be referred to a patient's health information collected across the life span of that person such as patient demographics, case history and problems, treatments taken so far, progress notes, medication management, patient visits, immunizations, complete laboratory information, radiology and billing reports etc.. EHR allows multiple interested groups ( stakeholders) like patients, insurance companies, payers, regulatory bodies,  government, pharmacies, and other interested parties, registries as well as devices outside the CDO setting to access medical information. Thus it offers a holistic approach to patient care where continuity of care is emphasized.

Benefits & Issues related to EMR

Benefits of EMR:

• Significant Cost savings
• More efficient management of patient's health records
• Improved quality of patient care
• Elimination of paper records
• Reduced medical errors
• Assists in clinical research
• Improved workflow
• Increased speed of patient information processing
• Information sharing
• Reduced manpower efforts

Issues related to EMR:

• High Initial investments involved
• Privacy and confidentiality issues
• Time and efforts associated with implementation
• Lack of standardization