We present a framework for developing a community health record to bring stakeholders, information, and technology together to collectively improve the health of a community. It is both social and technical in nature and presents an iterative and participatory process for achieving multisector collaboration and information sharing. It proposes a methodology and infrastructure for bringing multi...

The objective was to assess use of a physician handoff tool embedded in the electronic medical record by nurses and other non-physicians. We administered a survey to nurses, physical therapists, discharge planners, social workers, and others to assess integration into daily practice, usefulness, and accuracy of the handoff tool. 231 individuals (61% response) participated. 60% used the tool oft...

Dr Park and her team have had their electronic medical record (EMR) for almost 2 years. Throughout this time, they have been recording questions they hope their EMR might help them answer. These questions have arisen from practice-management concerns, proposed qualityimprovement initiatives, and old-fashioned clinical curiosity. They are wondering how to begin using the EMR to provide some answ...

Developing quality indicators (QI) for national purposes (eg, public disclosure, paying-for-performance) highlights the need to find accessible and reliable data sources for collecting standardised data. The most accurate and reliable data source for collecting clinical and organisational information still remains the medical record. Data collection from electronic medical records (EMR) would b...

Outpatient wound center facility reimbursement for Medicare beneficiaries can be a challenge to determine and obtain. To compare methods of calculating facility service levels for outpatient wound centers and to demonstrate the advantages of an acuity-based billing system (one that incorporates components of facility work that is non-reimbursable by procedure codes and that represents an activi...

Many Veterans Affairs physicians are familiar with the steady stream of reminders generated by our electronic medical record system to order laboratory and screening tests. These reminders help clinicians meet guidelines and performance targets for screening and prevention. However, the article by Virani and colleagues demonstrating substantial overuse of repeated lipid testing in a Veterans Af...

PURPOSE To describe the lived experience of patients communicating with their nurse practitioners and physicians while using paper health records (PHRs) and electronic health records (EHRs) in the examination rooms. The significance of the study lies in the salience of communication between the patient and provider in promoting optimal clinical outcomes and the highest level of patient satisfac...

Web-based portals and electronic health records are making it easier for clients and families to access health information. This improved transparency and access to information has the potential to promote activation and improve outcomes, but to realize these benefits, the information needs to be valuable, meaningful, and understandable. Engagement of the end users in the planning and implement...

Canada Health Infoway (Infoway) was launched in 2001 following an agreement by Canada’s First Ministers to strengthen a Canada-wide health infostructure that would include the development and benefits of electronic healthcare solutions. With a goal to have an electronic health record (EHR) for 50% of all Canadians by population by 2010, Infoway is investing in some key areas of health informati...