ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews and summarizes the known approaches reported in the literature specifically concerning the integration of electronic healthcare records (EHRs). The precursor to the EHR is the paper-based patient-centred medical record that was pioneered in the early 20th century. A review of the technically oriented EHR literature shows a fairly broad agreement that the integration of EHRs should adopt systems integration approaches based on federated linkages between cooperating information systems. Common architecture approaches, importantly, afford a sophistication that is more able to be inclusive to the needs of organisational changes and social factors that are critical to the successful adoption and use of EHR and EHR-linked systems. The integration of EHRs have closely followed the solution patterns and recommendations made within generic healthcare information systems (IS) and general IS strategies. The typological pathways are a useful instrument for understanding how healthcare IS integration is approached in a consolidated and integrative fashion.
