What does an electronic medical record (EMR) represent?

An electronic medical record (EMR) specifically represents a legal patient care record maintained by a single physician or healthcare provider. EMRs are designed to capture the comprehensive medical history and treatment details for individual patients within a particular practice or facility. This means that all the medical information gathered and generated related to a patient's care—such as diagnoses, treatment plans, medications, and progress notes—can be easily accessed and managed by the provider responsible for the patient's care.

In contrast to a shared patient record, which involves multiple healthcare providers contributing to a common database, an EMR is limited to the records created, maintained, and updated by one specific provider. This focused approach facilitates continuity of care and helps ensure that the provider has immediate access to the necessary patient information without the complications of shared data governance.

Understanding the distinct characteristics of an EMR is critical for comprehending its role in the healthcare system and its differences from other electronic documentation systems, such as electronic health records (EHRs), which may aggregate data from multiple sources or physicians.