ABSTRACT
Given the tremendous amount of time that providers spend interacting with the EMR and the increasing penetration of patient portals, it is not surprising that, to many, the EMR seems to be the entire universe of clinical computing. Add to that the huge investment that practices and enterprises have made to license and implement the EMRs, and it becomes easy to appreciate their desire for these systems to be all encompassing. However, the reality is that a great deal of innovation is occurring outside of the EMR, and it is critically important for providers and health care organizations to understand the opportunities that this innovation presents, the challenges of implementation, and implications for support.
