Saturday, April 7, 2018

Smartphones becoming primary device for physician and patient communications | Computerworld

Hospitals are making significant investments in smartphone and secure mobile platforms to enable communications between clinicians and between them and patients, according to a new survey.

Nine of 10 healthcare systems plan significant investments in smartphones and secure unified communications over the next 12 to 18 months, according to the results of the survey, performed in person by Spyglass Consulting Group; the survey included more than 100 healthcare professionals working in hospital environments.

Smartphones being provided to hospital workers for communications are a 50/50 mix of purpose-built devices for the healthcare industry and consumer models, such as the Apple iPhone or Android phones, according to Gregg Malkary, managing director of the Spyglass Consulting Group.

"The whole idea of patient-staff communications is a relatively new concept," Malkary said, referring to the 2012 requirements set down by the federal government's "meaningful use" of electronic healthcare records (EHR) standards. "So, when you look at these investments in smartphones and secure mobile communications, they really are driving clinical transformation as they try to address ... requirements.

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https://www.computerworld.com/article/3268055/healthcare-it/smartphones-becoming-primary-device-for-physician-and-patient-communications.html?