Integrating Apple’s technology into healthcare organisations has enabled caregivers to improve the delivery of healthcare, increase productivity and enhance the patient experience.
While hospitals are utilising Apple’s iOS healthcare offerings, including CareKit and ResearchKit to develop custom apps that manage patient care and conduct medical research, caregivers use iPhones to communicate with patients, access medical records when on-the-go and monitor patient vitals.
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Mobile device management
The benefits of iPhones in healthcare are undoubtedly many, and they continue to pave the way for the evolution of healthcare and the patient experience. However, in the wake of the WannaCry cyber attack that wreaked havoc throughout the NHS, it is imperative that healthcare organisations take a step back to make sure an appropriate mobile device management (MDM) solution is in place to ensure confidential patient data is kept secure and devices are equipped with the latest updates.
In fact, a recent survey commissioned by Jamf, and conducted by Vanson Bourne, polled 550 IT decision makers within healthcare organisations across the UK, France, Germany, US and Australia, and found that managing devices is a top concern, as more than a quarter (27%) of respondents are not fully confident in their existing device management solution. Their top concerns when managing staff mobile devices include security (83%), followed closely by data privacy (77%), inappropriate employee use (49%) and software updates (48%).
By implementing an MDM solution, healthcare organisations can maximise the iPhone’s capabilities for caregiving and administrative staff. The benefits of an MDM programme include keeping patient data under lock and key, ensuring that devices remain compliant with regulatory mandates and minimising the IT burden for healthcare organisations.
Keep confidential data secure
While the WannaCry ransomware attack has undoubtedly made security a top priority for healthcare organisations, hospitals and GPs can remain confident when using iPhones with an MDM solution in place.
An MDM solution provides healthcare organisations with greater control over security settings across an entire inventory of managed devices. Its remote management capabilities play a crucial role here – not only does it enable organisations to implement specific security policies which could include passcodes, secure VPN or Wi-Fi network and supervision capabilities, but also maintain higher levels of consistency across user device profiles, ensuring that devices can be managed with greater efficiency.
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In addition, all patient data is stored on managed devices rather than an MDM server. This way if an iPhone is lost or stolen, it’s easy for devices to be wiped remotely without compromising any confidential patient data.
Apple’s native security capabilities, including its hardware-based encryption which keeps confidential data secure, and Touch ID that grants device access only to authorised users via their unique fingerprint, combined with an MDM solution’s ability to deploy organisation-specific security settings mean that healthcare organisations can enjoy peace of mind about keeping medical records and patient data under lock and key.
Keep devices compliant with regulatory mandates
MDM remote management capabilities also empower healthcare organisations to keep devices compliant with new legislation, such as the upcoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
With an MDM solution in place, organisations can quickly determine which devices are not compliant and resolve any issues in a timely basis. What’s more, it also provides healthcare organisations with the flexibility to adjust security policies as regulations continue to evolve.
Reduce IT burden for organisations
An MDM programme can significantly reduce the IT burden of managing devices across an organisation. Healthcare organisations can enjoy zero-touch deployment and configure devices remotely with MDM. Additionally, over the air (OTA) updates and software patches can be issued to an entire inventory of devices simultaneously, rolling out the updates with minimal disruption to staff.
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Fully unleash the iPhone’s capabilities with MDM
In conclusion, healthcare organisations that choose to optimise staff iPhones with an MDM solution can experience the multitude of benefits that iPhones provide. Such a solution enables organisations to confidently manage and secure devices that handle sensitive customer data, remain compliant with industry legislation and minimise the burden of managing devices.
As the iPhone’s capabilities continue to develop into spaces such as VR and AI, the ways that doctors and nurses utilise devices to improve the delivery of healthcare, increase productivity and enhance the patient experience will continue to advance.
However, no matter what new features or capabilities may come next from Apple, healthcare organisations can always be confident in managing staff devices with an MDM solution.
Sourced by Dave Alampi, CMO, Jamf
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