Tracking Referents in Electronic Health Records

Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are organized around two kinds of statements: those reporting observations made, and those reporting acts performed. In neither case does the record involve all), direct reference to it,hat such statements are actually about. The), record not: what is happening on the side of the patient, bill rather: what is said about what is happening. While the need for a unique patient identifier is generally recognized, we argue that we should now move to an EHR regime in which all clinically salient particulars - from the Concrete disorder oil the side of the patient and the body, parts in which it occurs to the concrete treatments given - should be uniquely identified. This will allow as to achieve interoperability among different systems of records at the level where it really matters: in regard to what is happening in the real world. It will also allow us to keep, track of particular disorders and of the effects of particular treatments in a precise and unambiguous way.