In the healthcare industry, time is a matter of life and death. Medical professionals work around the clock, facing emergencies 24/7. In this critical environment, modern healthcare devices must always perform at their best. This demands a comprehensive device management solution.
Let’s explore the challenges healthcare organizations encounter regarding compliance and patient care, as well as the key features of Scalefusion MDM that help tackle these issues.
Challenges in Healthcare Industry for Compliance and Patient Care
1. Compliance Regulations
Healthcare organizations must ensure that all patients’ sensitive data is private and protected from sharing. This data is vulnerable to misuse if the device containing it is lost or stolen. Multiple staff members, such as nurses, technicians, doctors, and other frontline workers, use shared devices with each other, which calls for efficient shared device management.
Similarly, patient information kiosks deployed in hospitals are prone to data breaches if not managed properly. Health professionals use BYO devices for various healthcare tasks, and if these devices are not configured, data privacy will be compromised.
For instance, in the United States, patient data is termed Protected Health Information (PHI). A data breach on any healthcare employee’s device violates HIPAA—Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Furthermore, hampering patient data also infringes the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe, which recognizes data concerning health as a special category of data.
2. Managing Digital Patient Data
With the digitization of patient data, healthcare professionals face the challenge of managing large volumes of information. Critical data such as patient medical history, current condition, medications, treatment plans, lab test results, and radiology images must be instantly accessible to authorized staff for timely patient care.
By preconfiguring devices with essential access permissions and deploying necessary work apps and patient data files, healthcare staff can instantly retrieve relevant information based on their roles. This streamlined access eliminates the time spent searching for data and leads to better diagnosis and treatment decisions via timely and comprehensive patient health details at the point of care.
3. Remote Patient Monitoring
During situations like a pandemic or for elderly patients in caregiving facilities, it can be difficult to visit a doctor physically. Remote technologies like telemedicine and telehealth allow healthcare professionals to monitor patients remotely. However, tech staff need help managing and monitoring the devices caregivers and healthcare professionals use.
Patient health data is transmitted through mobile devices, allowing for effective remote patient monitoring. To maintain this effectiveness, the devices must have uninterrupted internet access. However, if many devices depend on wireless connectivity, they can overwhelm the facility’s network, causing congestion and performance issues. Additionally, third-party apps on medical staff devices pose security risks, potentially exposing the network to cyberattacks and unauthorized access.
Key Features of Scalefusion MDM for Compliance and Patient Care
1. Workflows
A HIPAA-compliant MDM solution like Scalefusion allows the creation of compliance workflows, such as battery compliance, data usage compliance, geofence compliance, security incident compliance, reboot, etc., as per HIPAA policies.
By defining compliance workflows, IT administrators can systematically enforce HIPAA policies, mitigating the risks of compliance violations. This allows IT staff to focus on more strategic initiatives while ensuring devices remain compliant and secure.
Furthermore, the ability to schedule tasks and define specific actions improves the overall efficiency and reliability of device management, ultimately supporting better patient care and data security in healthcare organizations.
2. Application and Content Management
Healthcare system administrators can ensure that staff always has access to critical information when needed. From a centralized Scalefusion MDM dashboard, they can manage apps and content on devices used by the medical staff. Depending on the healthcare staff member’s role and shift, administrators can control which apps and content are accessible to them.
The ability to remotely manage apps and content on devices used by healthcare workers reduces information clutter. Workers can only access the apps and content that they need for their jobs to be done like podiatry billing services, eliminating distractions and unwanted content. For example, reception staff can only access apps and content related to visitors, while doctors have access to apps and content related to patient care.
Additionally, MDM software allows administrators to push content and apps to managed devices silently, without interrupting the user. This is crucial for situations where, for instance, a doctor needs immediate access to an app while attending to a patient, saving valuable time and ensuring efficient care.
3. Shared Device Mode
Healthcare services operate around the clock, with multiple shifts and frequent emergencies. Efficient user switching and verification are essential to prevent delays. Scalefusion’s Shared Device Mode streamlines this process, allowing staff to switch devices effortlessly between shifts.
At the start of their shift, staff members enter their email credentials on the shared device, which are verified with a one-time password (OTP). IT admins can also generate automated alerts as a staff member’s shift ends, logging them out automatically and preparing the device for the next user. This process ensures devices are ready for the next staff member without any unnecessary delays.
Quick switching and verification of staff between shifts ensure there are no time lags in using shared devices, which is crucial for timely patient care. By minimizing delays and ensuring the right staff have access to the right information at the right time, Shared Device Mode significantly enhances both compliance and the quality of patient care.
4. Remote Troubleshooting and Maintenance
In healthcare organizations, all the devices used for healthcare purposes must have optimum device performance always. For example, tablets mounted for monitoring the vitals of a patient cannot face errors because they display the patient’s critical information.
Remote troubleshooting gives IT admins remote access to all registered devices and enables them to troubleshoot any device issue instantly, reducing downtime. This saves time, and health professionals can see the patient’s vitals at all times, which helps them provide appropriate patient care.
Remote maintenance complements troubleshooting by allowing administrators to perform regular updates, security patches, and performance checks on all managed devices without physical access. By keeping all devices up-to-date and secure, remote maintenance supports uninterrupted healthcare operations and enhances the overall quality of patient care.
5. Kiosk Mode
Constant patient care is a critical element in healthcare organizations, leaving no room for negligence. Healthcare providers must access only authorized apps and websites to maintain focus and productivity.
Kiosk mode allows administrators to lock devices used by healthcare staff into single or multi-app mode. This restricts unauthorized access to non-healthcare apps and prevents distractions. In single-app kiosk mode, only one application or website runs, even after a device reboot. In multi-app kiosk mode, two or more apps can run on the managed device while all others are blocked.
6. BYOD Management
BYOD management policy allows tech staff to create separate profiles or containers—work and personal—on the doctor’s personal devices. This ensures work apps and data are isolated from personal apps and data, preventing any crossover. For instance, doctors cannot copy EHR or ePHI data from their work container, and even screenshots from the work container are saved only within that container.
Implementing a BYOD policy safeguards the health and confidential data of care home residents from tampering or unauthorized sharing. This enhances compliance with privacy regulations and improves overall patient care in senior care facilities.
Get the Best Out of Healthcare Devices with Scalefusion
Healthcare professionals must have access to reliable and secure devices to ensure timely and accurate treatment, especially in critical situations where every second counts. The challenges faced by healthcare organizations in ensuring compliance and enhancing patient care are significant.
However, implementing a comprehensive device management solution like Scalefusion MDM can effectively address these challenges. Talk to our experts or sign up for a 14-day free trial.
