Over time, I have come to believe that electronic health records or EHRs, as they are more commonly known, are the future of all health records. It doesn't matter whether you love them or can't stand them, EHR systems are starting to replace paper-based systems around the world. However, many people don't know anything about EHRs. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to explain exactly what electronic health records are and how are they used, as well as to explain the legal issues that could arise with their use as well as the future of EHRs. Electronic health records are essentially a digital system. version of a patient's paper file. However, this is just a simple answer to what an EHR is. The truth is that EHRs are this and much more. EHRs are a comprehensive digital file of all of a patient's health information, accessible anytime, anywhere; essentially by providing real-time access to records to all relevant staff. These records may include, for example, your contact information, allergies, insurance information, medical history, and vaccination records, among other things. Having this information in this format will help medical staff by reducing the chance of errors, reducing the chance of duplicate testing, and could significantly improve the overall quality of your care. Additionally, by having this information, all healthcare professionals could have all current information on conditions, treatments, tests and prescriptions that you may have as a patient. This in turn could improve the overall workflow of the medical facility by allowing staff to save time and focus on other matters instead of spending time searching for records and files and updating day...... middle of paper ......dely accepted myth that medicine requires complex and highly specialized computer systems. This myth continues to justify skyrocketing IT costs, heavy physician workloads, and stagnant innovation. This is not to say that there is no hope for the future use of EHRs. As more organizations implement EHR systems, healthcare providers will have greater access to patient information, enabling faster and more accurate diagnoses. Having comprehensive patient data will help ensure the best possible care. Patients will also have access to their own information and the choice to share it securely with family members and medical staff via the Internet, to better manage their care and that of their family. And while setting up an EHR will require an early investment of time and money, it will certainly be worth it in the long run..