(As Suggested by Global Industry Analysts, Inc.)

A recent forecast from a leading research firm projects that the market for electronic health record (EHR) systems in North America will reach $2.6 billion by 2012, doubling its total of 1.3 billion in 2009. Furthermore, it is set to exceed $5.4 billion by the year 2015. Much of that growth will be seen from technology adoption by private physician practices and ambulatory outpatient centers, which currently have a penetration rate of less than 15%.

Their report does not mention recent government incentives for medical service providers tied directly to the meaningful use of healthcare information technology, which is estimated to be roughly 27.3 billion dollars over the next 10 years. These enticements can only be viewed as a key driver for conversion, and a considerable boost to the estimate.

The bottom line is that the EHR industry one of the most explosive emerging markets in the history of the country, and for those clinicians willing to invest early cost for long-term savings, it can be a very lucrative endeavor.