Before the use of electronic health records, there were paper charts. These charts lined large shelves that often filled entire rooms depending on the size of the healthcare practice or hospital. The idea of the electronic health record has been around for several decades plus years (Gartee, 2011). However, it was not until more recent years that the use of the electronic health record has become more widely used within the healthcare industry. In 1991, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies sponsored various studies and developed reports that ultimately paved the way for the electronic health records that we use today Gartee, 2011). “The American Reinvestment & Recovery Act (ARRA) was enacted on February 17, 2009, which
