An Information Paradigm Shift is Required to Realize EHR Benefits

The use of EHRs and the benefits from them are significant for healthcare and health informatics. Data form the basis for any EHR and its potential to realize these benefits. This paper considers the housing of information and knowledge management in an EHR system. Are we experiencing a revolution in healthcare? Findings from an investigation of alternative approaches, followed by an evaluation of the importance of the adoption of a standard information model relative to benefit realization, is presented. We conclude that an EHR in any environment is not limited to sharing or information exchange. A paradigm shift in thinking, based on the requirement for standardized concept representation, is required. This is an essential prerequisite for a new vision of healthcare supported by digital technologies.