What Is EHR (Electronic Health Record)?
An Electronic Health Record is a digital, longitudinal record of a patient's health information maintained by a healthcare organization, designed to be shared across providers and care settings, and to support clinical decisions, billing, and quality reporting.
- When evaluating EHR/PM combinations for billing performance, prioritize: claim-scrubbing depth, payer-specific edit libraries, KPI dashboards, denial-management workflow, and 837/835 EDI capabilities.
- Cloud-based platforms typically have stronger billing automation than on-premise legacy systems.
EHR (Electronic Health Record)
Also known as: Electronic Health Record; EHR System
An Electronic Health Record is a digital, longitudinal record of a patient's health information maintained by a healthcare organization, designed to be shared across providers and care settings, and to support clinical decisions, billing, and quality reporting.
Definition
An EHR contains demographics, medical history, problem lists, medications, immunizations, allergies, lab and imaging results, vital signs, clinical notes, and care plans. EHRs differ from EMRs (Electronic Medical Records) in being designed for interoperability across organizations and care settings, not just within a single practice. Major ambulatory EHRs include Epic (largest market share for hospital and large group), Cerner/Oracle Health, Meditech, athenahealth, eClinicalWorks, NextGen, DrChrono, Practice Fusion, and Kareo. ONC certifies EHRs to ONC Health IT Certification Program criteria, including USCDI, HL7 v2, FHIR R4 APIs, and Information Blocking compliance.
Example
A primary care visit documented in athenaOne EHR generates an encounter note, problem-list updates, e-prescriptions to the pharmacy via Surescripts, lab orders via the lab interface, and a charge transaction that flows to athena's billing module for claim submission via 837P.
Common Misconceptions
EHRs are not just digital charts — modern EHRs include clinical decision support, e-prescribing, order entry, billing, scheduling, and patient portal capabilities. The 'EHR vs PM' distinction has blurred for cloud platforms (athena, eCW, NextGen) that combine both into a single system.
Practical Application
When evaluating EHR/PM combinations for billing performance, prioritize: claim-scrubbing depth, payer-specific edit libraries, KPI dashboards, denial-management workflow, and 837/835 EDI capabilities. Cloud-based platforms typically have stronger billing automation than on-premise legacy systems.
Related Terms
EMR vs EHR
An EMR (Electronic Medical Record) is a digital version of a single practice's paper chart, designed for use within that practice; an EHR (Electronic Health Record) is a broader, interoperable longitudinal record designed to be shared across organizations and care settings.
Read definition arrow_forwardFHIR
FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) is an HL7 standard for exchanging healthcare information using modern web technologies (RESTful APIs, JSON/XML, OAuth 2.0), used for clinical data exchange, patient access APIs, and increasingly for prior-authorization and quality reporting.
Read definition arrow_forwardPM (Practice Management) System
A Practice Management system is the software that handles the operational and financial workflow of a medical practice — scheduling, registration, eligibility, charge entry, claim submission, payment posting, A/R follow-up, and reporting — typically integrated with or embedded in an EHR.
Read definition arrow_forwardInformation Blocking Rule
The Information Blocking Rule, codified at 45 CFR Part 171 under the 21st Century Cures Act, prohibits health care providers, health IT developers, and health information networks from engaging in practices likely to interfere with access, exchange, or use of electronic health information (EHI), subject to eight regulatory exceptions.
Read definition arrow_forwardWhere This Applies on MedPrecision
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