Key Definitions

EMR ‐ An electronic medical record is the computerized recording of care provided by a particular provider in a single healthcare setting; it is not necessarily longitudinal and does not contain a full record of all the healthcare encounters a patient has experienced.	EHR ‐ An electronic health record is more comprehensive than an electronic medical record (EMR) in that it contains information about care received in multiple settings and care provided by multiple providers; it attempts to capture a full record of all the healthcare encounters a patient has experienced.
Office of National Coordinator for Health Information Technology - The legislation codifies the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONCHIT), and establishes an open and transparent process led by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC). The goal is to develop standards by 2010 that allow for secure, nationwide electronic exchange of health information. The law also establishes a Health IT Standards Committee to review and recommend standards and other policy recommendations to the ONC.	HIT Policy Committee - The HIT Policy Committee will recommend what policies and regulations are necessary for implementing “meaningful use” of EHRs and to ensure effective implementation. Members will include providers, ancillary healthcare workers, consumers, purchasers, health plans, technology vendors, researchers, relevant federal agencies and individuals with technical expertise in healthcare quality, privacy and security.
HIT Standards Committee - The Health Information Technology Standards Committee will recommend health information technology standards, EHR applications certification standards, and other reporting and certification criteria to the National Coordinator. Much like the HIT Policy Committee, members will include providers, ancillary healthcare workers, consumers, purchasers, health plans, technology vendors, researchers, relevant federal agencies, and individuals with technical expertise in healthcare quality, privacy and security. Membership is developed through nominations made by congressional leaders and the Secretary of HHS. The HIT Standards Committee, which is required to create EHR standards by 2010, must implement an open and transparent process for developing new EHR standards and certification criteria and is responsible for updating the Federal Health IT Strategy Plan. The Committee’s primary goal is to establish objectives, milestones, and metrics for the healthcare provider community to promote the utilization of EHRs and to develop an EHR for every person in the by 2014. Finally, the law stipulates that nothing in the statute prevents the Secretary from creating a new ONCHIT office or allowing the National eHealth Collaborative from modifying its structure and mission accordingly to serve as the HIT Standards Committee.	Expanded Definition of Healthcare Provider: Hospital Skilled nursing facility Nursing facility Home health entity Long‐term care facility  Health care clinic Community mental health center Renal dialysis facility Blood center Ambulatory surgical center Emergency medical services provider Federally‐qualified health center or group practice Rural clinic Pharmacist Pharmacy Laboratory Physician Practitioner Provider operated by or under contract with the Indian Health Service or Indian Tribe, tribal organization, or urban Indian organization