Shared mobile devices are redefining clinician workflows, reducing burnout, and improving patient care through secure, seamless access.
Dr. Kelly, you balance dual roles as a healthcare technology leader and practicing emergency physician. How has this unique perspective shaped the way you approach the challenge of physician burnout?
As both the Chief Medical Officer at Imprivata and a practicing emergency physician at Beth Israel Lahey, I am very aware of the complex challenges shaping the healthcare industry. I’ve seen firsthand how security products developed without usability in mind can lead to frustration from clinicians, and more importantly, cause delays in vital patient care, bringing the need for synergy between IT and clinical teams to the top of my agenda. Through my time at Imprivata, I’ve developed a passion for providing the best patient care possible with technology that works for clinicians, not against them. All of us that provide direct patient care think of technology as tool, just like a stethoscope or a scalpel. Good tools allow us to provide better care, and good technology allows us to do our jobs better.
Physician burnout has been a persistent issue in healthcare. In your view, what makes it so difficult for organizations to address at its root?
Burnout doesn’t just stem from long hours; workflow inefficiencies and cognitive disruption are the root cause. Physicians often spend as much, if not much more, time wrestling with technology as they do providing patient care. This constant friction drains energy and morale. Addressing burnout at its root requires leaders to rethink how technology fits into clinical workflows and prioritize usability when deploying new solutions. Clinicians want to operate at the top of their licenses – doctors and nurses didn’t go to years of school and specialized training to do administrative and clerical work, or to spend hours per day trying to log into their digital systems. Just let us care for patients!
Honestly, that’s hard enough, but it’s what we signed up for… making the tricky diagnosis, putting in chest tubes, delivering bad news. I’ll take that any day over wasting time with bad tech. It’s my job!
Imprivata’s latest report highlights that shared mobile devices can significantly reduce administrative burden. What about these tools makes them so impactful in a clinical setting?
Mobile devices are no longer just a convenience; they’re a clinical necessity. In fact, 92% of healthcare leaders now consider them essential to care delivery. This isn’t only because mobile devices lead to significant cost-savings, but also because they save time for clinicians and IT teams, reducing staff burnout. Shared mobile devices give clinicians back minutes that would otherwise be lost to logins and workarounds, and those minutes add up to both healthier staff and better patient care. Furthermore, just like in our private and consumer lives, mobile devices make it faster and easier to get information and act on it immediately, in the moment. This is both more efficient and also safer for care.
Nearly all care teams in your study agreed that mobile devices improve patient care. How do you see that connection playing out day-to-day in a hospital environment?
The primary goal of clinicians is to care for their patients. Shared mobile devices not only help clinicians deliver more efficient patient care, but they also make the process seamless and secure. I’ve seen nurses reclaim hours each week simply by cutting redundant logins and manual documentation with shared mobile device programs. Shared devices reduce the cognitive load, manual processes, and security friction that fuel burnout, giving clinicians more time for the work that matters most—caring for patients.
Burnout isn’t just about workload—it also affects retention and morale. How do mobile devices influence job satisfaction among clinicians based on your findings?
When care delivery is slowed by password fatigue, disjointed workflows, and outdated mobile access processes, frustration, dissatisfaction, and burnout increase among staff. Our research shows that 94% of respondents say the proper deployment of shared mobile devices improves clinical staff satisfaction. Respondents also revealed these devices improve coordination and communication (67%), streamline access to key clinical applications (54%), accelerate patient care (51%), expedite documentation (46%) and reduce burnout (90%). Together, these gains create a work environment where clinicians feel more supported, valued, and empowered to deliver high-quality care.
Research shows that 92% of healthcare leaders now view mobile devices as essential. What is driving this shift from “nice-to-have” to “must-have”?
Hospitals today are under extraordinary pressure, facing rising patient care demands, clinician shortages, escalating cyber threats, and shrinking budgets. Against this backdrop, shared-use mobile devices have shifted from a “nice-to-have” tool to a “must-have” asset. They allow healthcare organizations to do more with less, streamlining operations while improving efficiency and security. Nearly all healthcare leaders (99%) expect mobile usage to rise in the next two years, highlighting the urgency of capturing these benefits now.
The ROI from mobile devices is tangible, especially when organizations deploy shared mobile device strategies. Shared mobile programs enable an ability to turn technology into a true force multiplier for care teams. Instead of every clinician juggling personal or one-to-one devices—and the IT burden that comes with it—shared-use models streamline provisioning, reduce repair and replacement costs, and eliminate countless inefficiencies. When devices are readily available, pre-configured, and secure, clinicians can start their shifts without delay, hand off work seamlessly, and stay focused on patients instead of troubleshooting technology. Hospitals adopting this model are seeing measurable impact: fewer help desk tickets, faster workflows, and average savings of more than $1 million annually.
Security and usability often clash when it comes to technology adoption in healthcare. How should organizations strike the right balance so clinicians gain efficiency without compromising compliance?
In today’s healthcare environment, security and usability can no longer be treated as trade-offs. We must demand MORE of both security AND usability. Cyberattacks threaten patient safety, and limited resources make efficiency critical. The question isn’t whether to invest in mobile, but how to ensure every mobile device delivers measurable value for both workflow efficiency and security. Good technology now makes this possible.
The key is through enabling shared access—both through mobile devices and workstations—supported by identity-driven, tap-and-go authentication. This model makes security and usability complementary instead of competing. Clinicians get fast, role-based access at the point of care, accountability is automatic, and compliance is baked in without creating barriers. By standardizing access across shared resources, organizations reduce friction, minimize risk, and empower clinicians to spend more time on patients instead of technology. Collaboration between clinical and IT teams throughout the development and implementation of new technologies is also critical to ensure usability.
With nearly half of healthcare organizations lacking formal policies for managing shared devices, what risks does this create, and how can leaders close that gap?
Hospitals without a formal shared device management policy rely on manual check-outs and skip role-based access controls. Without those guardrails, devices get lost, credentials get shared, and security gaps open up. Imprivata research shows 74% of shared-use devices are often left signed in, and 79% of staff admit to sharing credentials when accessing these devices, exposing sensitive patient data to potential HIPAA violations.
A clear policy is what turns mobile from a burden into a true advantage. The future of care depends on mobile strategies that are fast, secure, and built around the realities of clinical work. By harnessing the full potential of shared-use mobile devices, healthcare providers can significantly improve patient care, enhance clinical satisfaction, reduce operational costs, and ensure data security.
Beyond easing administrative burden, how do shared mobile devices contribute to better teamwork and collaboration among care providers?
Shared mobile devices make collaboration simple for clinicians. Instead of juggling multiple logins or waiting for a workstation, physicians can seamlessly document notes during patient visits, share updates and access critical applications at the point of care with the tap of a badge. By collapsing barriers between systems and people, shared devices create a more connected, collaborative care environment.
Looking forward, what role do you see shared mobile devices playing in shaping the broader future of healthcare delivery and clinician well-being?
Shared mobile devices are the foundation of a more clinician-centered healthcare system. As organizations move toward context-aware workflows, passwordless access and true interoperability, the goal is to provide every clinician with a device that knows who you are, where you are, and what you need while seamlessly connecting legacy and modern systems, so clinicians don’t have to worry about device updates or get slowed down by manual technology processes. In the long run, shared mobile devices won’t just increase cost-savings and enhance security; they’ll help reshape healthcare delivery itself by enabling safer care and more efficient clinical workflows, improving both clinician quality of life and patient experiences.
- A quote or advice from the author
“Every second counts in healthcare. To truly unlock the promise of shared mobile devices, hospitals must pair adoption with well-governed strategies that make access frictionless and secure. Done right, it’s the first step toward a passwordless future where clinicians never have to think about the technology – only their patients.”
Dr. Sean Kelly
Chief Medical Officer and SVP of Customer Strategy, Imprivata
Dr. Sean Kelly is the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Sr. VP of Customer Strategy for Healthcare at Imprivata, the digital identity company for life- and mission-critical industries. Through this role, he leads the company’s Clinical Workflow team and advises on the clinical practice of healthcare IT security. In addition, Dr. Kelly practices emergency medicine at Beth Israel Lahey Health and is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, part time, at Harvard Medical School. Trained at Harvard College, University of Massachusetts Medical School, and Vanderbilt University, Dr. Kelly is board certified in Emergency Medicine and is a Fellow in the American College of Emergency Physicians.
With a passion for bridging the gap between business and medicine, Dr. Kelly is focused on delivering the best patient care possible with technology that works for clinicians, not against them. He is a member of the College of Information Health Management Executives (CHIME) Board of Trustees and is the Chair of the CHIME Opioid Task Force Clinical Advisory Group, a team of health IT leaders committed to leveraging technology to curb the Opioid Crisis, prevent addiction and save lives.
