Electronic Patient Record systems
The digital backbone of modern clinical record-keeping
What it is
About Electronic Patient Record systems
Electronic Patient Record (EPR) systems — such as Epic, Oracle Health (Cerner), System C, or SystmOne in the NHS — replace paper notes with structured digital records covering assessments, observations, medications, and care plans. Clinicians rely on them daily for accurate documentation, continuity of care, and clinical decision support, and they are central to safe handovers and audit trails in hospitals and community care.
What you can do with it
Capabilities
Document patient assessments, observations and care plans
Review medication history and clinical alerts
Coordinate handovers between shifts and departments
Track outcomes and support clinical audits
Access decision-support prompts embedded in the record
How to learn it
Learning Resources
Trust/employer-provided EPR onboarding and induction training
Vendor-specific certification like Epic's credentialed trainer programmes
NHS Digital / NHS England clinical informatics resources
Shadowing experienced clinical staff during real documentation workflows
Pro Tip
Learn your organisation's specific documentation templates and mandatory fields early — most EPR frustration comes from fighting the system's structure rather than the software itself being hard to use.
Skills that use this tool
Roles that use this tool