The combination of OpenEMR being open source, open community, volunteer driven, physician driven and getting significant use in the real world makes it a perfect vehicle to glean really useful insights into EMR use and I highly recommend looking into it in your research endeavors. For example, in subjects such as EMR system development and the effects of regulation.
A really nice and innovative example on EMR system development is the development of the Eye module released in OpenEMR's most recent version 5.0. A practicing ophthalmologist, Dr. Ray Magauran, decided to develop a ophthalmology module in OpenEMR with the goal of actually improving efficiency over paper (as a physician, I would confidently say I have never used an EMR that is faster than paper). What this physician/developer did was simply amazing and the details of this eye module(including the makings of it) can be found here: http://www.open-emr.org/wiki/index.php/Eye_Exam
What I think is innovative here is that this was designed, built, tested, and used by a practicing physician on the front lines.
Then on the flip side can also learn about the dichotomy of fulfilling regulations versus developing an innovative and efficient EMR system, which OpenEMR provides a ring side seat too since the road to complete meaningful use certification was done the open source way(ie. in full public view).
A really nice and innovative example on EMR system development is the development of the Eye module released in OpenEMR's most recent version 5.0. A practicing ophthalmologist, Dr. Ray Magauran, decided to develop a ophthalmology module in OpenEMR with the goal of actually improving efficiency over paper (as a physician, I would confidently say I have never used an EMR that is faster than paper). What this physician/developer did was simply amazing and the details of this eye module(including the makings of it) can be found here: http://www.open-emr.org/wiki/index.php/Eye_Exam
What I think is innovative here is that this was designed, built, tested, and used by a practicing physician on the front lines.
Then on the flip side can also learn about the dichotomy of fulfilling regulations versus developing an innovative and efficient EMR system, which OpenEMR provides a ring side seat too since the road to complete meaningful use certification was done the open source way(ie. in full public view).