When was the EHR signed into law?

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, signed into law by President Obama, defined the Electronic Medical Record (EHR) as “an electronic record of health-related information on an individual that is created, gathered, managed and consulted by authorized health care clinicians and staff.” (Jones). The intent of the bill is that all Americans should have an electronic record by 2014; the EMR should improve patient care and reduce overall cost of healthcare delivery. Some of the minimal requirements to be considered are, feasibility of research, data comparison, i.e. comparing medicines for a specific condition and responsiveness to expressed needs of the patients. (Article from HHS.gov/Recovery).