By Randy Hamlin, VP and business leader, Ultra Mobile, Philips

Health organizations are becoming increasingly savvy when it comes to digital technology. This momentum has been propelled in part by technological advances, but also by a changing landscape and increasing demands to cut costs and improve care. The evolution in healthcare took off with a move toward cloud-based EMR solutions, where digital innovation was used to create a more integrated care delivery model. Now, and in looking ahead, we see a new frontier in personal technology.

Personal technology – a smartphone, tablet – has become a natural extension of how we interact with others in and outside a healthcare setting. Because of its nearly ubiquitous status, it’s now affording healthcare organizations and professionals a new way to deliver care, while aligning with the mantra of better care, improved outcomes, at a lower cost. In addition to bringing care closer to the bedside, we’re seeing a host of other benefits resulting from the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) movement.



Clinicians, for example, are experiencing advantages to personal technology in the workplace. We’re finding that for providers, BYOD offers the advantages of reduced training burden, greater productivity, enhanced professional satisfaction and quick, effective decision-making. With faster access to email, files and test results, providers spend less time on large devices and computer systems and more time with their patients.

“Having a small, mobile device that can be handheld or on a stand allows providers to conduct ultrasound scans quickly and easily, versus having to wait for equipment to become available,” said Jared Marcucci MD, emergency medicine physician and ultrasound director, Saint Anthony Hospital and Community First Medical Center. “I like having the flexibility to choose a tool that I’m already familiar and comfortable with, so that I dedicate maximum time and focus on the exam itself, and more importantly, the patient.”

BYOD is demonstrating benefits that help to improve the healthcare experience for the organization, care teams, and most importantly, the patient. Some examples include:

• Smart-device ultrasound connects a phone or tablet, a mobile application and a transducer with integrated IT to help healthcare providers take care where it’s needed, whether that’s at the bedside or in more remote, rural settings.

• Electronic health records (EHRs) include medical history, progress notes, medications and lab data. When available via a mobile device, EHRs can streamline clinician workflow and eliminate the need for a patient to reiterate the same information to different people.

• Physician’s Desk References allow clinicians to access information such as facts about a medicine or the latest biomedical research quickly and from their smart device, helping to inform treatment planning.

Anecdotally, we hear it all the time – BYOD is the next big thing in connected, integrated healthcare. But, it’s also shown in the numbers. Philips recently launched a study measuring how countries around the world are positioned to meet long-term global health challenges through integration and connected care technologies. Through the Future Health Index, a multinational study examining the perception of connected care and the role it plays in the future of healthcare, we found that more healthcare professionals are integrating smart devices into their daily activities and – even more importantly – believe in the future of BYOD. Four out of five physicians are already using their personal mobile phone during their workday, and 85% believe that integrated health systems and connected technologies can improve the quality of care for patients. Across the countries we surveyed, newer healthcare professionals are more likely to see, use and share information from connected technology. These findings tell us that this trend is on the rise, especially as the “digitally native” generation enters the healthcare workplace.

Data show that health systems are also embracing BYOD, despite the fact that traditionally they’re slow to make sweeping changes. From an operational perspective, BYOD promises improved workflow and cost savings, both of which are top priorities in evaluating healthcare efficiencies. In fact, 68% of healthcare organizations and providers believe BYOD will be fully supported by 2018, and 51% already have a BYOD policy in place to support and regulate the use of personal devices in a healthcare setting.

While there are a lot of benefits and advantages to the BYOD movement, introducing new technology into a clinician’s day-to-day practice or as part of a system-wide change can come with challenges and skepticism. With BYOD, there are important considerations about security, privacy and connectivity. We must continue to carefully consider and address these concerns as we explore BYOD and its tremendous potential for digital health solutions to improve and enhance healthcare. BYOD can help deliver on the promise of truly connected health if we’re willing to invest in exploring, assessing and creating policies that allow for easier adoption and risk mitigation system wide.