Epic is the preferred electronic medical record system used by more than 250 health care organizations nationwide# To date, 45 percent of the US population have their medical records in an Epic system.

Upon implementation, Epic will allow for one chart to follow patients throughout the multiple areas in which they receive care. This includes:

• Five Johns Hopkins area hospitals
• Ambulatory clinics at the East Baltimore campus and Johns Hopkins Bayview
• Emergency Departments at the five hospitals
• Ambulatory surgery areas
• Inpatient rehabilitation at the East Baltimore campus

Plans are in place to integrate Epic into private practices in the community over the next decade, using one of three systems:

• Epic Community Connect: uses Epic as the office electronic health record (EHR)
• Epic Care Link: reviews the e-chart; has some interaction
• Health Information Exchange option (CRISP)

Patients will also have access to their health records through the MyChart function.

The scale of this project is immense, but presents a tremendous opportunity to streamline and standardize care across the entire health system based on best practices in all possible areas. There are real and obvious advantages to an integrated system in terms of continuity and quality of care, by sharing information, avoiding duplication of investigations, and enhancing communication among providers and also between provider and patient.