EMR versus EHR - What is the difference?

According to Healthcare Informatics, EMR is a computerized legal clinical record created in Care Delivery Organizatons (CDOs), such as hospitals and physician offices, and used and owned by the CDO. It becomes an EHR (Electronic Health Record) when:

• Reports and histories (labs, pharmacy, radiology, consults, etc) are electronically added;
• Items in the record are electronically exchanged with other providers, and
• There is a personal health record (PHR/PMR) component which allows patients to participate in documenting and creating their medical history and communicate with their provider.

EHRs represent the ability to easily share medical information among stakeholders and to allow it to follow the patient through various modalities of care from different CDOs.

EMR vs. EHR - No Worries!

The essential difference between EMR and EHR lies in how the (electronic) data will be used or shared - within the confines of a single office or practitioner or will it be shared across a wide range of different providers, such as specialists' offices, labs, insurance providers and government agencies?

According to the definition advanced by HIMSS, an EMR is a set of applications and workflow tools that digitizes the creation, collection, storage and management of patient information "within the confines of a single organization". It may touch clinical data repositories, lab applications and patient information management systems, among others -- but all within the reach of a single organization.

EHR, on the other hand, is a longitudinal, complete and unified view of electronic record of patient health information produced by clinical assessments in one or more care settings drawn from across a wide region corresponding to all the providers who are seeing the patient -- the totality of his/her personal data, state of health and delivered care.

While both EMRs and EHRs provide some similar benefits -- cost savings through improved workflow and paper reduction, improved delivery of care accuracy -- EMRs provide those benefits only within a single organization. EHRs, because they are shared across the irrelevant geographic or otherwise defined region, increase the efficiency of patient care and improve patient outcomes, disseminate information rapidly between care providers, help with research efforts, and cut costs throughout the entire system more promptly and reliably.

Call Us to Understand the Difference

Are you still confused? RevenueXL can help you understand the difference between an EMR and EHR at no cost to you. So why not contact us today, you have nothing to lose, but only to gain, and that’s our promise to you.