Electronic Health Record Systems: Definitions, Evidence, and Practical Recommendations for Latin America and the Caribbean

Electronic health record (EHR) systems are increasingly considered to be one of the most relevant information technology tools for strengthening health systems in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Despite this interest, few LAC countries have adopted EHR systems at scale. This document uses the available evidence to provide policy makers and other stakeholders with general insights about EHR systems. The first section summarizes the potential and promise of EHR systems for LAC, the second section reviews definitions of EHR systems and their key functionalities, the third section provides an overview of the impacts of EHR systems based on the existing evidence, the fourth section describes the key challenges related to implementing EHR systems, and the fifth section proposes practical recommendations to support successful implementations of EHR systems at scale in LAC.