A Survey of Clinicians in US Healthcare Delivery Organizations on Mobile Device Use in Care Delivery

By streamlining workflows at the point of care and enabling secure real-time and rapid transfer of patient data across the healthcare delivery organization (HDO) network, mobile devices offer opportunities to increase clinician workflow efficiency, user satisfaction, teamwork and communication. However, accompanying the benefits of clinical mobility are concerns related to data privacy, security, and proper authentication, which can make it difficult to efficiently manage shared mobile devices as they are exchanged between clinical users. Measures that enhance security can often impede usability and adoption, such that HDOs may struggle to optimize their investments in mobile technology. In this study, the authors gathered information regarding the perceptions in US HDOs on the perceived value, utilization, and management challenges of a clinical mobile devices fleet.

An anonymous, online survey was deployed to eligible respondents assessing HDO mobile devices use level, applications accessed, impact on users when lost, and related organizational challenges.

Almost half (97; 47.5%) of the 204 survey respondents regarded mobile devices as conveying greater efficiency than workstations for completing clinical work. A majority (126; 61.7%) deployed 500 or fewer mobile devices and 48.3% (98) estimated that 2-4 applications were accessed per shift; 33.7% (69) accessed 5-14 applications. Clinical communications (141; 69.2%) and the electronic health record (EHR) (136; 66.7%) were most frequently accessed. Two-thirds of respondents (133; 65.1%) estimated applications were accessed more than 10 times per shift. Half reported that a lost device delays patient care. Only 37.2% (76) desired greater mobile device deployment in the future, with 41.9% undecided.

Mobile workflows are becoming integral to the healthcare information ecological system, enabling bedside access to the EHR and clinical applications. HDOs seek the benefits mobility can add to care delivery and clinician experience, but perceive managing an enterprise mobile device fleet as complex and challenging. Mobile access management tools are needed to streamline rapid, secure device authentication and information access with improved interoperability, user experience, and workflow flexibility while reducing the IT administrative burden of mobile device fleet management.