Electronic medical record (EMR) also termed as digital medical records or computerized medical record is a systemic digital collection of health information of a patient’s medical history. Electronic medical record is a digital record that can be shared across different healthcare settings. EMR helps in storage and tracking of patient’s charts, demographics, medications, histories, test results, SOAP notes and others. EMRs are considered as great improvement over paper records as they allow more storage of patient’s information and eliminate illegible handwriting. EMRs are currently being considered as the most common way to boost patient’s safety, improve efficiency of practice, efficient way of medication prescription and mange chronic illness.
The market for electronic medical records is also being encouraged by federal government initiatives by the release of “Meaningful Use” standards in 2010. Additionally, in 2009 a funding for EMRs was introduced as a part of the American Recovery and Reimbursement Act which focused on increased adoption of EMRs. Moreover, for avoiding the Medicare penalties many of the hospitals in the U.S. have implemented EMRs that would increase the market revenue of EMRs. Similarly, the market for electronic medical records would be driven by increasing demand for healthcare cost containment and growing need for the improvement of healthcare services.
The market for medical records can be segmented on the basis of various types of components, end users, applications and geography. Electronic medical records market by components is further categorized on the basis of EMR hardware and EMR software. EMR software market can be further analyzed on the basis of web based EMR and client based EMR. Based on application areas electronic medical records market is classified as general application EMR and specialty specific EMR. Hospitals and...