The electronic health record--the time is now

Health care is changing because of the need to effectively manage both acute and chronic illness in the delivery of quality patient-centered care. This will force a change from the physician-centric model to one that uses a care team approach in both the hospital and ambulatory settings. The electronic health record promotes communication among team members, knowledge management, and the need to more rapidly translate evidence-based guidelines and performance criteria to the bedside and office. Electronic health records with embedded clinical decision support systems hold great promise. Multiple parties are pushing this agenda forward, which will lead to more comprehensive, efficient quality care. Use of the quality improvement tool as described shows how effective these methods are in managing coronary artery disease. Physicians and all members of the care team need to embrace this evolution.