For some docs, iPad claims key spot next to stethoscope

Last month, at the launch of the iPad 2, Apple showed a video in which John Halamka, MD, CIO at Beth Israel Deaconess, said the iPad "will change the way doctors practice medicine." It was a bold statement, and not the first lofty claim made about technology. But this much is clear: Hospitals across the United States and as far as Israel and Australia are embracing iPads. The reason is simple, Halamka said in a phone interview -- iPads are a great fit for doctors. "The secret for the ideal clinical device," he said, "is it has to weigh a pound, it has to last 10 hours, because that's their shift, you have to be able to disinfect it so there's no risk of contamination, and you have to be able to drop it 5 feet onto carpet without damage." Technically, iPads weigh about 1.3 pounds, and the wipe-downs they get constantly at Beth Israel Deaconess are strictly against Apple's directions.