[FanIn80]

At El Camino Hospital in Mountain View, doctors and nurses started working on convertible tablet computers in 2003, but abandoned them last year after moving into a new building with computers in every patient room.

Cheryl Reinking, vice chief of clinical operations at the hospital, said the decision was made after workers soured on the tablet computers - which included a full keyboard - because of their bulk, short battery life and screens that weren't always easy to read.

However, she said, the iPad is promising enough to make the hospital consider a move back to tablets. Reinking said the iPads could be valuable for doctors moving around the hospital.

"You could use this in the operating room, when you need to document things quickly, or in the lab," she said. "Physicians could use the device at the bedside to make notes, or use it as a reference for medications. It could be an amazing tool."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...MN521BP9AH.DTL