ABSTRACT
The book begins with a brief history of the rise of computerized medicine, culminating in the electronic health record (EHR). Then, the chapter introduces the idea of conducting research based on data derived from the EHR from both a conceptual and theoretical perspective. This includes the type and scope of data in the EHR, as well as introducing the idea of “big data.” Next, the chapter identifies the stakeholders in the research process and suggests that researchers achieve buy-in via research champions from all disciplines involved. The chapter concludes by calling for a cohesive view of EHR research and enumerates the structure of the remainder of the book.
