Katie Matlack at SoftwareAdvice.com has posted an interactive timeline of EHR history. Interesting to see how things unfolded long ago.  Note, too, two long-ago pivotal moments:

• The late 1960s introduction of Larry Weed, MD’s Problem-Oriented Medical Record, “…aiming to generate a record that would allow a third party to independently verify the diagnosis. Prior to this, a doctor only recorded his diagnoses and the treatment provided.” Jeeze.  (We posted about it recently.)
• Late 1970s: the inception of VistA, the VA’s system. As recounted in Phil Longman’s great little book Best Care Anywhere, this system was developed to suit the needs of its users, not accountants. Lots of people like to bitch about it, it’s still in use today… and it was the first system to support the Blue Button “gimme my data” initiative. (I loved that book, and blogged about it three years ago.)