Providing safe and timely clinical care to patients is increasingly dependent on the presence of a functioning electronic health record (EHR) system. The impact of system downtime on patient outcomes remains unknown. In this retrospective study, researchers examined the effect of EHR downtime periods greater than an hour on adult surgical patients admitted for over 24 hours during the 6-year study period. They found a significant association between exposure to EHR downtime and increased time in the operating room as well as longer postoperative length of stay. There was no significant association with 30-day mortality.