ORLANDO – Most health IT executives provided a mobile device to point-of-care clinicians in their organizations, according to the results of the third annual HIMSS Analytics Mobile Survey.
Ranging from computers on wheels to smartphones and tablets, most clinicians used the provided devices primarily to access patient information, clinical practice guidelines, and reference materials, based on the survey results released at the annual meeting of the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society.
Naseem Miller/Frontline Medical News
"The mobile health market is one of the fastest-growing areas in the health IT space," said David Collins, senior director of mHIMSS, in a statement. "We recognize the growing importance of mobile technologies and its impact to transform the delivery of patient care."
The survey of health IT executives, conducted between December 2013 and January 2014, showed a projected increase in the use of tablet computers while hinting at the demise of the pager.
While 67% of the respondents said they provided pagers to their staff, only 8% said that they’ll add or expand the use of the devices. Laptop computers remained the most common (87%) mobile device provided to clinicians.
Among other findings:
• 36% of respondents said physicians in their organizations used the technology to collect data at bedside.
• Organizations were most likely to leverage mobile technology for pharmacy management, such as medication reminders, preventive support care, continuing of care, and telehealth interventions.
• 35% said that their organization provided apps for their patients for monitoring chronic conditions, physical activity, or nutrition. More than half said they were planning to update or launch new apps next year.
• 22% said that most of their data was integrated into the organization’s electronic medical records.
• 95% said they’ve used at least one security tool to secure data on mobile devices. Passwords were the most widespread form of security.
The complete survey can be viewed here.
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