Seventy-nine percent of CIOs said healthcare secure messaging among care teams is driving their mobile technology selection.
Healthcare secure messaging is one of the top focal points for CIOs, with 72 percent reporting that they currently utilize secure texting as part of their mobile strategy, according to a recent survey. Seventy-six percent reported they plan to have secure texting within the next three years.
Spok surveyed CHIME CIOs in June 2017 and found that EHR integration and secure messaging user adoption were the key priorities for 2018.
Approximately eight out of 10 respondents said that secure messaging and communications among care teams was the driving factor in their mobile technology selection. Sixty percent of those surveyed said receiving alerts from clinical systems, such as patient monitors, was the driving factor. Sixty percent also stated being able to receive critical test result alerts was the main factor for selecting mobile technology.
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Physician adoption and buy-in was the top challenge listed (54 percent) when it comes to rolling out secure texting, followed by finding the proper funding (48 percent).
Eighty percent of CIOs said that they gain buy-in through including clinician representatives on the planning committee, while approximately three-quarters stated developing internal champions helps achieve buy-in.
The survey also indicated that EHR integration and overall interoperability are becoming increasingly important for providers. Seventy-one percent of CIOs said they base investment decisions for communications-related technologies on integrating with the EHR.
Furthermore, 69 percent of those surveyed stated integration with other systems was important for communication technologies, with 62 percent prioritizing ease of use for end users. Just over half 57 percent said meeting clinician needs was the driving factor for investing in the technologies.
Patient engagement will also be important for 2018, with 50 percent of CIOs stating that they have a Patient Experience Officer or equivalent. Forty-five percent of respondents also said they are evolving their patient portals to support population health initiatives.
Currently, 30 percent of CIOs stated they utilize critical diagnostics results alerts, with 65 percent expecting to do so within the next three years. Medication administration will also be used by 70 percent of respondents in the next three years, an increase of 11 percentage points.
Sixty-one percent of respondents said they plan to use clinical decision support alerts in the next three years, an increase from the current 30 percent.
Overall, having a mobile technology strategy to support clinical workflows is a strategy for many healthcare providers. Sixty-five percent of CIOs said they are working to bring mobile elements into one unified strategy. Twenty-six percent of respondents said they are not developing a mobile care team strategy.
“The point of view behind the healthcare CIO’s desk is one of challenges and opportunities; considering future investments and measuring success,” researchers stated. “We’re looking forward to seeing how healthcare CIOs keep pace with advancing technologies—integrating their systems and ensuring adoption, while keeping the patient perspective front and center.”
These survey results are in contrast with a study published earlier in 2017 in the Journal of Hospital Medicine. That research found that secure messaging was not a main form of communication for providers.
Twenty-six percent of 549 hospital-based clinicians said that their organization had implemented a secure messaging option that was being utilized by some clinicians. Just 7 percent of those respondents said a secure messaging application had been implemented and was being utilized by most clinicians.
Approximately 80 percent of respondents said they are provided pagers for communications. Forty-nine percent of those surveyed stated they receive patient care–related communication through pagers. Additionally, just over half 53 percent of 567 clinicians said they received standard text messages once or more per day.
Healthcare organizations need to consider their technological and communication needs before implementing a new tool. It will also be important to maintain HIPAA compliance so ePHI is not compromised through the use of a secure messaging or secure texting tool.
When properly implemented, and when employees are thoroughly trained, healthcare secure messaging and secure texting can be greatly beneficial for the industry.
Date: Dec 27, 2017