Highlights: ? Using a tablet computer can decrease time spent at a computer. ? Clinician’s felt the tablet was easy to disinfect. ? Clinician expectations cannot be met by a change in form factor alone.Abstract: Background: The recent availability of low-cost tablet computers can facilitate bedside information retrieval by clinicians.Objective: To evaluate the effect of physician tablet use in the Emergency Department.Design: Prospective cohort study comparing physician workstation usage with and without a tablet.Setting: 55,000 visits/year Level 1 Emergency Department at a tertiary academic teaching hospital.Participants: 13 emergency physicians (7 Attendings, 4 EM3s, and 2 EM1s) worked a total of 168 scheduled shifts (130 without and 38 with tablets) during the study period.Interve….