Washable computer gives doctors a clean slate

The last thing you would think to do with your PDA is dunk it in a pail of disinfectant.

But a Newton start-up, Emano Tec Inc., has designed a wafer-thin, wireless hand-held computer that is designed to be washed thousands of times.

The device, called MedTab, is intended to give doctors full access to medical records on the go, as they move from patient to patient during rounds. Doctors can also make notes (it has handwriting recognition) or dictate records (it has voice recognition.)

Best of all, said Bob Caspe, Emano Tec's chief executive, MedTab fits easily in the pocket of a white coat.

"It's not the technology that drives this market," Caspe said. "It's the usability. The form and function is going to determine the success of this product."

Timing may also be a factor. In the push to extend electronic medical records throughout the healthcare system, hand-held devices for physicians are a hot spot. Mobile devices designed specifically for healthcare were among the stars at the industry's big trade show last week, the Health Information and Management Systems Society Conference in New Orleans.

For years, many hospitals have relied on laptop computers, mounted on rolling carts and powered by big batteries, known as computers on wheels. Those in the industry refer to them disparagingly as COWs. MedTab could make COWs obsolete, its advocates say .

"These guys have identified the characteristics that will make their device highly competitive for physicians, particularly those that spend a lot of time with patients," said Eric Brown, vice president and research director at Forrester Research, a market research firm. "I see MedTab as potentially transcending the individual doctor. It could be something that a hospital would buy as a fleet, as a component of the overall hospital information technology strategy."

Wayne Bailey, Emano Tec's chief technology officer, is a software engineer who has long had an interest in mobile computing. He said he conceived of MedTab several years ago, when he was caring for his son through a lengthy illness that involved many hospital stays.

"If doctors had the right information at the right time, a lot of mistakes could have been avoided," Bailey said.

Ultimately, Emano Tec recruited Dr. John Halamka, chief information officer for CareGroup HealthCare System, which includes Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. As an unpaid consultant, Halamka helped tweak the device so it would have the features that doctors expect.

"That in itself gives MedTab more credibility," said Micky Tripathi, the head of the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative, which is installing electronic medical records in three towns on an experimental basis. "John is a world expert on all sorts of health information technology."

The start-up faces challenges from many competitors, including Motion Computing Inc. of Austin, Texas, which last month introduced a tablet computer aimed at doctors. Motion Computing calls its new device, developed with Intel Corp., a "mobile clinical assistant."

MedTab isn't flashy. It uses a black-and-white screen using E Ink imaging film, a novel display that looks a lot like paper and uses very little power compared to a traditional LCD screen. A tap on a patient's name with a stylus brings up medical charts, medication records, even an EKG graph. A fingerprint scanner keeps data secure. You can drop it without worries. Perfect for hard floors.

MedTabs cost $2,000 apiece for orders of 50 or more. In true start-up fashion, one of the principals of the firm began developing the device in his sunroom. The company is looking for $1 million in development capital to move the device into production later this year.

As for the future of Emano Tec, Caspe is thinking small. Rather than ramping up a sales and marketing staff, he envisions a relationship with an industry giant like McKesson Corp., the San Francisco giant that distributes pharmaceuticals and sells healthcare information technology.

For now, the fight is to win over doctors and hospital officials.

"Healthcare is 10 years behind every other industry in information technology," Bailey said. "They're being brought to the 21st century kicking and screaming."

Jeffrey Krasner can be reached at krasner@globe.com.