Not really. You still have to handle the tablet, and it's just more of a hassle to interact with (a piece of paper is a lot less fragile). A stylus will just get lost within the first day (we use laptops that in theory have a stylus, but I've never actually seen one... just an empty hole in the side of the laptop).

>a stylus will just get lost within the first day

Extremely relatable. Someone needs to come up with a stylus that is permanently attached to a laptop using a wire or some other sort of contraption, similar to writing pads with permanently attached pens. The slot (hole) for the stylus should still stay, so that it can be packed up/stored neatly.

The main reason it was not done yet, my guess, is because of the dangling cable from the tablet when the stylus is stored in the slot, but it could be retractable for storage or something like that.

Or just use a resistive digitizer above the screen and make anything with a tip a stylus, so they can be disposable and replaceable like pens.

I could've sworn that the Panasonic laptops that I've seen EMTs use here in Australia had exactly that. Though I've never been in the best shape when I'm in the back of an ambulance lol

Or make capacitive-capable styli disposable/replaceable like pens.

You can wipe down a tablet but not a pad. Isn't there some risk of transmission via the paper pad?

(Thank you for the insights!)

Yeah, a pad would be much harder to clean. We use single sheets of paper (and a metal clipboard that's easily cleaned if you want a writing surface).