Doctors turn to tablet computers

Lured by new technologies and financial incentives from the government, doctors are throwing out stacks of paper and replacing them with handheld computers.

The programs, made by heavyweights such as Allscripts and Cerner as well as a number of scrappy Silicon Valley startups, promise to save physicians time and help them make smarter decisions based on reliable data that are accessible online. An extra nudge comes from the 2009 economic stimulus, which set aside $27.4 billion to jump-start the switch to electronic records. The law offers doctors up to $63,750 over five years to help pay for the change if they can prove they're making "meaningful use" of the systems by, say, submitting prescriptions electronically.