Executive summary During the year 2008, the government of Jamaica decided to remove the fees on the health sector for the users, which has increased the rate of demand on the healthcare services by the citizens. The ministry of health in Jamaica is also trying to restructure the processes within the health sector to improve its services to the citizens, enhance service delivery and increase the accessibility as well as accountability in the management system of the health services. The use of electronic medical record (EMR) also known as electronic healthcare record (EHR) is a data collection document that records the digital data of medical reports for the patients. In addition, it shares the information with other healthcare doctors as well as providing personal health reports for patients to present to their doctors when required. This technology of recording the patient’s information is seen as a way of improving the services offered in healthcare facilities. This has been adopted by countries like United States and others are on the process of implementing it. Jamaica is one of the countries, which has also planned to implement the technology to improve the health services. Introduction Jamaica is the largest English-speaking Caribbean Island in its advanced stages to improve the health system, which is reflected by a decreased fertility and mortality rates in the country. The maternal mortality rate in Jamaica has been high due to high rate of abortion done by girls and due to poor services in the maternal section but government has tried to improve its operations to curb the situation (Planning Institute of Jamaica, 2007). The National Health Services Act in Jamaica divided the country into four health regions whereby each region is governed by the regional health authority. The regional authority has the mandate of ensuring that public health services are delivered to the citizens within the region. The delivery of the health services is availed through the network of the secondary or tertiary care facilities and the primary care facilities, which are managed by the regional authorities in the country (Jamaica Ministry of Health, 2005). The main aim of the research is to discuss the deficiencies in the health system of Jamaica and the benefits the country will achieve in adopting the EMR/EHR in operating its healthcare facilities. The study tackles the challenges related to handling health information, medical products and technology, service delivery, health workforce, health financing and leadership and governance. The research looks at the benefits that the country is likely to achieve in implementing the electronic medical record in the health system as well as some of the challenges the country might face in implementing the technology (Planning Institute of Jamaica, 2010). Health information The health information system in Jamaica is fragmented that there is no policy on health information system to govern the communication processes within the health system. The country has always lacked data to carry out the statistical analysis in the health sector that it has always used the 1993 data to estimate the vital statistics in the subsequent years in preparing the health reports (Ministry of health, 2008). In the year 2005 audit of the vital statistics, it was noted that in the health sector there was lack of communication and coordination between the government and the health agencies, which has made it hard for the government to plan accurately on how to improve the health system. The government should therefore