theclay is right - the benefit is to make physicians more efficient and to allow them access to tools that benefit the public as a whole. They shouldn't have to spend the majority of their time trying to negotiate insurances and medicare/medicaid (which, by the way, rarely pay the amount it can cost the physician) - they should be focusing on practicing medicine. Using EMRs/EHRs allows physicians to automate part of that process, as well as giving them more analysis of patients.

I can't tell if this is serious or not. Either way, it seems like we all benefit from devices that make doctors more effective.

I think many older physicians would disagree with you that EHRs make their life easier.