It is rare to pick up any health care publication today without finding an article or news about electronic health records (EHR). Common use of EHRs in health care is just a matter of time. However, in the discussions of this technology, its content and related standards, the user of the electronic record is often ignored. Using the Electronic Health Record in the Health Care Provider Practice has been written to help fill this void because knowledgeable and confident users are essential ingredients for any successful EHR system.

This text begins by describing what an EHR actually is and the various types of technologies needed to support it. The remaining nine chapters provide descriptions of how an EHR system supports the tasks, workflow and documentation of data most commonly associated with patient visits to an ambulatory health care practice. Continuity of care records and personal health records are discussed as evolving components of EHR systems. More importantly, a CD included with the text provides readers with activities to practice using and documenting within an actual EHR that has been designed for the ambulatory health care practice setting.

Preparing a health care work force to effectively use information technology tools has become a priority for educational settings. Using the Electronic Health Record in the Health Care Provider Practice is appropriate for use in training anyone who works in or desires to work in a health care facility. Although the practice EHR uses the context of ambulatory care, the basic techniques and navigation skills learned by doing the exercises are transferable to any other health care environment.

We hope that you will become an informed future user of electronic health records as a result of using this text. As you use the text, your comments and suggestions are always welcome!

Sincerely,

Shirley Eichenwald Maki, MBA, RHIA, FAHIMA
Bonnie J. Petterson, PhD, RHIA