Abstract
Proposes using the analytic concept of genre of organizational communication to study the organizational consequences of implementing clinical information systems and shifting from paper‐based to electronic patient records in clinical practices. By focusing research attention on interpersonal communication and social interaction issues not addressed in medical informatics research, this approach contributes to the understanding of organizational and institutional issues that implementing such systems may entail. The paper develops an example drawn from an in‐depth case study of a computerized order entry system to illustrate the insights this approach may provide.