The Electronic Patient Record (EPR) South Africa

  • L De Wet
  • T McDonald University of the Free State
  • GJ Pistorius University of the Free State
Keywords: Electronic patient record, EPR Computerised patient record, CPR Paper medical record, PMR Computer-based patient record General practice, Private practice

Abstract

Physicians drown in the amount of information engulfing their day-to-day tasks.The invention of the patient record was the first step towards bringing order to this situation Worldwide, however, numerous problems are experienced with the paper medical records (PMRs) that have been in use in medical practices for the past few years. The obvious answer to these problems is an electronic patient record (EPR). In South Africa (SA) the EPR is not generally used, despite its well-known potential advantages. Focusing on general practice, an EPR research project was therefore undertal

Author Biographies

L De Wet
B.Com., B. Com. (Hons), M.Sc., Ph.D.
T McDonald, University of the Free State
B.Sc., B.Sc. (Hons), M.Sc., Ph.D. Department of Computer Science and Informatics
GJ Pistorius, University of the Free State
MB, ChB, M (Med Dom), M.D. (PreQ Department of Family Medicine
Section
Original Research