The terms Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Electronic Medical Record (EMR) are often used interchangeably, but they refer to different things:
1. Electronic Medical Record (EMR): This is a digital version of the paper charts in a clinician’s office. An EMR contains the medical and treatment history of the patients in one practice. EMRs have advantages over paper records because they allow clinicians 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 within the practice
2. Electronic Health Record (EHR): While an EMR is basically a digital version of a paper chart, an EHR is a more comprehensive digital record of patient health information. EHRs are designed to be shared with other healthcare providers, so authorized users can access a patient’s health information across different healthcare organizations. EHRs include:
- The same data as EMRs
- Broader view on a patient’s care
- Information from all clinicians involved in a patient’s care
- Data from all the specialists a patient may see
In summary, an EMR is a digital version of a chart for a single practice, whereas an EHR is designed to be a more comprehensive and shareable health record.
