Will 2008 be the year of the electronic medical record (EMR) or the personal health record (PHR)? In this election year, the pollsters have concluded that healthcare is second only to Iraq in the voter’s mind. HIPAA was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1996. The need for interoperable EMRs was recognized over 10 years ago. It was this recognition that drove the Department of Health and Human Services to devise the regulations that are designed to protect the privacy and security of EMRs. These “HIPAA rules” have had a greater influence on health practice then the original HIPAA legislation.
