Widespread EHR adoption provides rich source of patient data for Covid-19 research Widespread EHR adoption provides rich source of patient data for Covid-19 research Data captured in EHR systems provide near real-time information about the nationwide vaccine rollout, help monitor potential safety issues, and foster understanding of the Covid-19 virus, treatments and associated outcomes in real-world care settings. Shares0 In the all-hands-on deck race to conquer the coronavirus pandemic, de-identified patient data from a variety of sources support clinical research, and near real-time data captured through electronic health records (EHR) plays an important role. EHR data are relatively new in support of clinical research compared to patient data gathered through the administration of health insurance claims used for more than two decades. Particularly in the United States, where the Affordable Care Act (ACA) catalyzed nearly complete EHR adoption, the “data exhaust” generated from these systems informs characteristics of diseases, treatments, and outcomes at a nationwide scale. This data can be enormously valuable for research – augmenting knowledge gained from the execution of rigorous clinical trial protocols with information gathered from patients treated in real-world care delivery settings. The clinical data found within EHR systems contain unique information such as lab results, vital signs and symptoms, demographics, and over-the-counter drug usage vitally important for our understanding of the coronavirus and its effect on patients.