Governance gaps curb mobile device potential in healthcare

Benefits of mobile devices in clinical settings

According to the report, shared-use mobile devices save facilities an average of $1.1 million per year compared to organizations that assign individual devices or have bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies. What's more, 99% of respondents expect to increase shared-use devices over the next two years.

The reported benefits of using mobile devices in care settings partially explain the uptick in adoption. For example, 67% of respondents reported enhanced coordination and communication, and 54% reported accelerated patient care.

Additionally, respondents reported anecdotal benefits of mobile devices in clinical care, such as reduced burnout and improved clinician satisfaction.

IT decision makers also reported benefits for their teams, including increased alignment with regulations, improved asset management and cost savings. More than 90% of the survey respondents agreed that shared devices deliver a greater return on investment than BYOD.

"For IT teams, shared mobile devices reduce manual workload, which frees them to focus on more engaging, high priority projects that deliver high value to the organization," the report stated.

Governance, tech gaps restrict value of shared-use mobile devices

Healthcare organizations with well-implemented mobile policies are realizing the benefits of this technology. However, organizations that do not have a fully implemented policy for managing shared-use mobile devices are facing workflow challenges.

For example, more than 60% of respondents said that care staff experienced issues with the accessibility of these devices. Additionally, 23% of these devices are lost annually, underscoring significant security concerns.

Nearly half of respondents said that they were not completely confident that patient data was fully protected on their shared-use mobile devices, and 79% said that employees share credentials when accessing shared-use devices.

Researchers also found that it takes an average of 13 minutes to assign a shared-use mobile device to a care team member, largely due to limited device availability, manual processes and inconsistent policies and procedures. Broken and misconfigured devices add to workflow challenges, meaning clinicians start their shifts dealing with authentication barriers rather than caring for patients.

"Other device management challenges for IT teams include lack of visibility into mobile device usage, lack of a centralized system for managing mobile devices, time-consuming setup processes, and a lack of a reliable way to track mobile devices," the report noted.

Healthcare leaders are aware of these challenges, and nearly every survey respondent reported that their care facility could improve its access controls for shared-use devices.

In order to realize the return on investment and potential for streamlined patient care that mobile devices can deliver, leaders must address governance and technology gaps.

"Every second counts in healthcare, and delays caused by outdated mobile workflows aren't just frustrating -- they can lead to lapses in care coordination, delayed treatment, or missed information, making them potentially dangerous," Sean Kelly, M.D., chief medical officer at Imprivata and a practicing emergency physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, said in a press release accompanying the report.

"From my experience on the front lines of patient care, it's clear that technology must adapt to the clinician, not the other way around. If we want to reduce burnout and improve outcomes, we must design secure mobile strategies around the realities of fast-paced, shared device environments."

Jill McKeon has covered healthcare cybersecurity and privacy news since 2021.