An electronic health record (EHR) is a digital version of a patient’s paper chart. EHRs are real-time, patient-centered
records that make information available instantly and securely to authorized users. While an EHR does contain the medical
and treatment histories of patients, an EHR system is built to go beyond standard clinical data collected in a provider’s
office and can be inclusive of a broader view of a patient’s care. EHRs can: Contain a patient’s medical history, diagnoses,
medications, treatment plans, immunization dates, allergies, radiology images, and laboratory and test results. One of the key features
of an EHR is that health information can be created and managed by authorized providers in a digital format capable of being shared
with other providers across more than one health care organization. EHRs are built to share information with other health care
providers and organizations – such as laboratories, specialists, medical imaging facilities, pharmacies, emergency facilities, and
school and workplace clinics – so they contain information from all clinicians involved in a patient’s care.