Decision support considerations in the development and implementation of an electronic medical record.

The requirement for decision support capability has been a major force in the evolution of the electronic medical record (EMR). The EMR should deliver contextual information so that financial and clinical decision makers can efficiently, and with patient-centered understanding, deliver appropriate care. An organization's pursuit of the EMR is based in its need to overcome problems managing information and its analysis and to create a picture of the patient in terms of outcomes. This discussion is designed for use as a guide to how pharmacy management can support or lead an enterprise's EMR and decision support evolution.