OBJECTIVES To summarize current excellent research in the field of patient records. METHOD Synopsis of the papers selected for the IMIA Yearbook 2007. RESULTS The Electronic Patient Record encompasses a broad field of research and development. Some current research topics were selected for this IMIA Yearbook: EHR representation and communication standards, and secondary uses of clinical dat...

OBJECTIVES The prevalence of electronic medical record in Japan varies according to the size of the hospital which is 62.5% in major hospitals, 21.7% in medium, 9.1% in small size hospitals, and 16.5% in clinics. The complete paperless system is very limited, though some major hospitals are aiming at this system. Several regional network systems which connect different platforms of EMRs, have b...

This review of issues and research is in two parts: 1) practical problems surrounding patient-held records and 2) ethical arguments for and against patient-held records. We argue that research on patient-held records indicates that there are no substantial practical drawbacks and considerable ethical benefits to be derived from giving patients custody of their medical records.