Many people do not realize the differences between an electronic medical record (EMR), electronic health record (EHR), and a personal health record (PHR), often use the terms EHR and EMR interchangeably. However, some differences define medical and health apart, distinguish ownership of patient information.
An EMR is a digital version of clinical workflows that record the process of medical practice.
- The purpose of EMR is to document care provided, orders, order execution, results, reports, and other information related while caring for a patient. Documenting must be complete if care was not documented; it did not happen then.
- The patient does not have direct access to their EMR during their hospitalization. They can, however, request copies of their records after discharge.
- Healthcare organizations must comply with the requirements of the local regulations in terms of EMR system governance and management.
An EHR is a digital version of integrated health information about individual patient or population.
- An EHR has the capability of sharing and exchanging information across different health care settings via network or cloud. EHR includes a varied range of data, including demographics, medical and social history, medication and allergies, immunization record, laboratory, and pathology test results, radiology images, vital signs, BMI, excises, health risks and outcomes, and insurance and billing information and so on.
- The patient usually has some access given by their healthcare providers and organizations to view their records.
A PHR collects, stores, centralizes, integrates an individual’s and family’s health information, share when the patient wants, where the patient wants, and with whom the patient chooses.
- PHR should securely manage lifelong personal health information, including subjective data like individual’s care preferences and wishes, data from own wearable devices.
- PHR is maintained by the patient, is operated by healthcare organizations. The intention is to provide a complete and accurate summary of an individual’s medical history, which is accessible online.
- The purpose of PHR is to maximize individual health benefits.
These three terms reflect the revolution of technology in the healthcare field, i.e., the progress of understanding, acceptance, and embracement of technology in daily practice, the role change of patient. These terms may be defined and used differently in countries and regions. Admittedly, technology has empowered care providers and patient than ever.