EHR & Healthcare

This document summarizes trends in electronic health records (EHR) including adoption rates by specialty and practice size. It describes the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and its provisions to standardize electronic data transmission and protect privacy. The Continuity of Care Record (CCR) format is introduced as a standard for exchanging clinical summaries. The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT) is working to reduce health IT investment risks through product certification.