Mobile Tech Advancing Among Providers

We all know hospitals and medical practices have been heavily impacted by the use of mobile technology. What’s interesting to learn, however, is that the nature of that use is shifting — and that the number of healthcare professionals who rely on mobile apps should shoot up this year.

According to research by IT trade group CompTIA, providers are gradually shifting their use of smart mobile devices from business functions like e-mail and scheduling to a much wider range of activities. These include medication monitoring and management, remote access to EMRs and helping patients manage insurance claims, CompTIA reports.

Right now, only one in five doctors with a smart mobile device supporting apps use medical or health apps every day.  However, three out of four providers surveyed believe that mobility is having a positive effect on healthcare. So it’s not too surprising to learn that during the next 12 months, healthcare providers expect to increase their medical app usage to the point where 62 percent are relying on these apps at least a few times a week.

It’s worth noting, however, that healthcare institutions don’t seem to be keeping up with the pace of change, at least where security is concerned. The survey found that only 17 percent of healthcare providers reported having a comprehensive mobile device policy in place (though 20 percent more did have partial policies implemented).

By the way, CompTIA also shared some stats regarding EMR acceptance that are worth a look.  According to the survey, providers had a more positive attitude towards EMRs this year than last year, with a net satisfaction rate in the low 60s.

That being said, the rest of the users surveyed have serious concerns in several areas, including ease of use, greater compatibility and interoperability, speed, and better remote access and mobility features.

About the author

Anne Zieger

Anne Zieger is a healthcare journalist who has written about the industry for 30 years. Her work has appeared in all of the leading healthcare industry publications, and she's served as editor in chief of several healthcare B2B sites.

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