The Difference Between EMR and EHM

With the evolution of technology, health organizations are using computers to collect and maintain patient information. Data within these records can consist of a variety of information including medical history, demographics, allergies, immunization statuses, test results, personal statistics and billing information.

Meaning

• EMR stands for electronic medical record and EHR stands for electronic health record. An EMR is a patient's record maintained by that person's physician alone while an EHR is a patient's record maintained and shared by a variety of health organizations including the physician, an insurance company or even the government.

History

• With the advent of technology, a slew of terms and acronyms has arisen to describe the transfer from paper to digital. While EMR was once the dominating term in the medical industry, present times have witnessed the replacement of the EMR acronym with the newer, more all-encompassing EHR acronym.

Difference

• An EHR is accessible by any number of individuals including the patient's doctor, therapist, pharmacist or insurance provider. An EMR is only accessible by the patient's doctor. Thus, an EHR is an evolution of the EMR, focusing more on the patient and his or her health.

Implication

• The term "medical" refers to medicine only while the term "health" encompasses a wider range of treatments and conditions. Now that a newer electronic record system with additional stakeholders is evolving, doctors are being forced to practice better and at cheaper costs.