Who are the participating public agencies and private Industry Organizations that are active in the steps leading to a robust, effective, responsible EHR environment, one that serves patients, practitioners and  health delivery organizations of all types, public and private, in the conduct of healthcare for the public good with EHR tools?What is the status of the common conventions for the conceptual content?  In this Segment of the EHR site, the current participants in the creation of common conventions for the EHR concepts are described as well as the ways for the viewer to become involved in the various standards and educational activities. The educational dimension is a key incentive force for the market to offer those products and services that satisfy the required capabilities that are documented in the health informatics standards by the various healthcare professional specialty disciplines. A current picture of this Demand-Supply axis is therefore described here. This segment of the site, however, takes a more pro-active stance in pointing out the range of opportunities that enable the viewer to have an effect upon the nature and timetable of those events that will lead to the EHR environment as a widespread resource in healthcare. Such benefits result from the observation of the experiences of those who have brought us this far and punctuate that little of social value results unless individuals participate. The lesson of history, as phrased by Gibbon, about the experience of the Athenian Democracy is most relevant:

  “In the end, more than they wanted freedom, they wanted security. They wanted a comfortable life and they lost it all - security, comfort and freedom. When the Athenians finally wanted not to give to society but for society to give to them, when the freedom they wished for most was freedom from responsibility, the Athenians ceased to be free.”

  This segment is directed at what is occurring and how the viewer might participate. It is intended to help those viewers who are interested in contributing to the realization of the EHR potential find ways to make their contribution.