Secure, web-based patient–provider communication tools are dedicated systems designed to support patient–provider and provider–provider electronic communication. They require unique log-in procedures and user identifiers to secure the privacy of such communications, and are often augmented by additional features like appointment scheduling, medication refill processing, viewable...

The use of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) has been quite variable from one specialty to another. Some specialties, like primary care specialties, seem more open to adopting EHRs, while others have had a different adoption experience. Even when adoption barriers – cost, implementation and workflow-disruption...

As Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems become more widespread, issues of poor design, and the consequences of that, take on a higher profile. This is especially true in hospital systems, which often are built using legacy, locally-installed client/server technology, geared to being self-contained (rather than...

Adoption of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) by physicians – particularly by primary care physicians – has been a challenge, for a number of reasons. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) has been charged with encouraging physicians to adopt Electronic Health Record...

Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) is one of the leading features of an Electronic Health Records (EHR) system, as envisioned by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health IT. It is a Meaningful Use criteria, both for hospital-based EHRs and for ambulatory EHRs...