Methodology for the development of an electronic medical record

Electronic medical records (EMRs) and computer based patient records (CPRs) hold the opportunity to improve patient care, reduce costs, and facilitate research in medicine. Far too often, however, healthcare organizations and practitioners find that these systems are too costly, lack essential features, or work improperly for their setting. As the result, many decide to develop their own EMR or CPR systems. Often, these undertakings rely on developers and software engineers who are unfamiliar with the concepts, terminology, and the myriad regulations that accompany such development projects. This paper suggests a framework for analyzing, modeling, and developing such a system.