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Reviewing literature on medical records allows for two emerging themes that illustrate how medical records are usually used. EMRs take two related yet distinctive roles:

1. Communication tool role.

2. Intellectual tool role (Supports cognitive processes).

Communication tool

Medical records transfer patients’ information across time and space. Projects that focus on this role of medical records focus on legibility and availability of patients’ data. Yet, ignoring the second role of medical records _intellectual tool_ compromises EMRs being effective communication tools. (You can check this reality by reviewing Weir and Nebeker (2007) study. This is a link to my summary). This study illustrated that when the legibility and availability was overemphasized over the clarity and brevity of communicated data, the usefulness of medical records was compromised.

Intellectual tool

Medical records support cognitive processes. This was the final conclusion of Nygren and Henriksson (1992) study. (This is a link to my summary) They realized that the four goals found for the use of paper medical records fall under cognitive processes support.

There are other goals for medical records. Yet, from a user point of view, the above two goals/roles are the most critical. For EMR to be good communication and intellectual tools they do need to perform myriad of other functions, yet these functions should be the worry of designers and not users.