What is considered a primary purpose of the health record?

The primary purpose of the health record is to support patient care. This means that the health record serves as a comprehensive collection of a patient’s medical history, treatment plans, medications, and other pertinent information that healthcare providers rely on to make informed decisions about a patient’s care.

Having accurate and accessible health records is essential for delivering quality healthcare, ensuring continuity of care, facilitating effective communication among healthcare professionals, and enhancing patient safety. These records help providers assess a patient's past and present health status, track the progress of treatment, and develop future care strategies based on documented information.

While other options highlight important aspects of the health record, such as its role in measuring patient care effectiveness or serving secondary purposes like research and billing, they do not capture the core role of the health record in directly supporting patient care, which is foundational to its existence in the healthcare system.