The direct financial benefit to physicians for investing in Electronic Health Records technology and systems remains elusive but the patient/care provider benefits are increasingly clear.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

"A new study in the American Journal of Managed Care tries to substantiate some benefits, noting that patients are more compliant with care when they have PHRs, and doctors are better kept abreast of treatment changes.

Physicians working for ActiveHealth Management, a unit of Aetna, focused on alerts generated by changing readings which were sent to both doctors and patients.

When “2 messages are coordinated to reinforce each another,” the study concluded, compliance improved 12.5%, the quality of care improved, and the doctor-patient relationship was improved as well."