The functionality of electronic medical records (EMRs) is increasing, thus they are becoming increasingly complex. The current systems used today are poor and have safety issues. An information and communication technology (ICT) would greatly improve the function of current EMRs. EMRs are responsible for the storage and retrieval of data about a patient. EMRs also called electronic health-care record (EHCR). The functions of EMRs can include many different types of captured data, which includes ePrescription or eRx. Health-care providers are required to keep patient records, but there is disagreement about what information should be on the network. The selection of data is critical in finding relevant information, therefore the filtering and presentation of data is essential. The usability of an EMR is critical and should be user-specific. It must meet specific demands and be easily accessible.
A minimal standardized set of data should be defined in a continuity of care record (CCR) to allow for communication and cooperation between care teams and providers, which is called interoperability. This requires technical and semantic interoperability standards. Technical is the containment of the structure and syntax of a document. Semantic is the preservation of metadata when transferred between systems. In order for EMRs to gain a wider acceptance, the security and potential misuse of health data must be addressed. To ensure an effective system, EMRs should be implemented worldwide.
Kohn, Deborah. "Electronic Document Management Systems: an overview." Topics in Health Information Management 23.1 (August 2002): 1(6).
