ISO/TR 12773-1:2009 is based on a comprehensive review of a series of initiatives and implementations worldwide that for the purposes of this Technical Report are collectively called health summary records (HSRs). Project sponsors and/or authorities were contacted as needed to gather additional information and clarify questions or issues arising out of the review.

ISO/TR 12773-1:2009 defines and describes HSRs in general as well as specific instances of HSRs and their most common use cases. It summarises the business requirements driving HSR development and the content that is common across HSRs, as well as issues associated with them. Finally, it recommends some future ISO/TC 215 activities to support international standardization of HSRs.

It is important to note that ISO/TR 12773-1:2009 focuses primarily on requirements that are specific (unique) to HSRs. It does not attempt to articulate, other than at a high level, requirements that are generally applicable to all health records or all electronic health records.