Digitally enabled patients, professionals and providers: making the case for an electronic health record in mental health services

Abstract

The move to a digital health service may improve some components of health systems: information, communication and documentation of care. This article gives a brief definition and history of what is meant by an electronic health record (EHR). There is some evidence of benefits in a number of areas, including legibility, accuracy and the secondary use of information, but there is a need for further research, which may need to use different methodologies to analyse the impact an EHR has on patients, professionals and providers.