Nurses turning to un-authorized smartphones to meet data demands

[InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews org>]

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/122112-nurses-smartphones-265330.html

By John Cox
Network World
December 21, 2012

A new study finds that more than two-thirds of nurses are using their 
personal smartphones for clinical communications. Yet 95% of nurses in 
the sample say hospital IT departments don't support that use for fear 
of security risks.

The report, "Healthcare without Bounds: Point of Care Computing for 
Nursing 2012," by Spyglass Consulting Group, points to the collision of 
healthcare information demands on nurses, and the limits of mobile and 
wireless technology, at the point of care -- typically the patient's 
bedside. Nurses in the survey decry the lack of IT support; and IT staff 
are frustrated by the unsanctioned and often explicitly banned use of 
personal devices for clinical communications.

The report is based on in-depth phone interviews with 100 nurses in a 
variety of healthcare organizations in 33 states, focusing on the 
information requirements of nursing and the use of mobile and wireless 
technology to meet those requirements. About half of the respondents 
were registered nurses with a Bachelor of Science in nursing; nearly 40% 
were registered nurses with a Master's degree in nursing informatics.

[...]


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