HIMSS Survey: Providers Making mHealth Progress

The survey findings offer examples of the progress made and hurdles that providers face when integrating mobile technologies into their facilities to improve patient care. Respondents indicated that the top benefit to having mobile technologies in their facilities was increased access to patient information and the ability to view data from a remote location.

According to the survey, 69 percent of respondents use a mobile device to view patient information, but only a third (36 percent) use mobile technologies to collect data at the bedside.

Further, only 22 percent indicated that three-quarters of the data captured by mobile devices was integrated into the organization’s electronic medical record (EMR).

The results showed that 59 percent have a mobile technology plan, while 29 percent are developing a such plan. HIPAA is the federal legislation that is most likely to impact organizational mHealth environment, and 95 percent use at least one security tool to secure data on mobile devices.

For the first time this year, the survey questions were modified to closely align with the six areas of the mHIMSS Roadmap, a strategic framework for providers to implement mobile and wireless technologies.

The Roadmap sections encompass key areas of consideration healthcare organizations should focus on when developing and implementing a mobile strategy within a healthcare organization: new care models, technology, ROI/payment, legal and policy, standards and interoperability, and privacy and  security.

Sixty-two percent of respondents indicated that they offer patients access to at least one of the mobile tools identified in the research, including patient portals, telehealth services, and remote monitoring devices. One-third of respondents offer apps for patient/consumer use, up from 14 percent a year ago.