Bridging the passwordless gap: A practical roadmap for healthcare IT

Healthcare leaders see passwordless access as mission-critical, yet few have fully implemented it. This stepwise roadmap outlines how to close the passwordless gap without disrupting clinical workflows.

Healthcare IT leaders are aligned on one point: passwords are no longer sustainable.

In Imprivata’s recent survey of healthcare leaders, 85% of respondents said passwordless access is “very important” or “mission-critical” to the future of healthcare IT. Yet only 7% report being fully passwordless today, and 59% still rely heavily on passwords.

So, the strategic intent is clear, while the operational reality is more complex.

When asked about adoption barriers, healthcare IT leaders pointed to:

• Integration and technical challenges (57%)
• Clinical acceptance and training concerns (52%)
• Regulatory and compliance requirements (51%)

This gap between aspiration and implementation is the “passwordless gap.” Bridging the gap requires more than deploying a new authenticator. It requires a phased, defensible roadmap that strengthens identity security, reduces phishing exposure, and aligns with Zero Trust principles — without disrupting clinical workflows.

Advanced and passwordless access capabilities can close that gap with passwordless authentication, adaptive access, and identity intelligence.

Read on for a practical, stepwise roadmap for healthcare IT teams.

Start with consolidation: Unify authenticators and identity proofing

Many healthcare organizations are operating with fragmented authentication ecosystems. In fact, 54% use three or more authentication vendors. That fragmentation complicates policy enforcement, reporting, and risk management.

Therefore, before pursuing broad passwordless initiatives, organizations should consolidate.

What this phase looks like

1. Inventory existing authenticators and vendors
2. Identify where passwords are still mandatory vs optional
3. Evaluate readiness to consolidate identity proofing, self-service reset, and remote access under a single platform

Advanced and passwordless access capabilities support multiple modern authentication methods, including badges, biometrics, PINs, mobile, and passkeys, allowing organizations to unify diverse authenticators within a single healthcare-focused access platform.

This directly addresses two survey priorities:

• The need for stronger identity security and phishing resistance
• Vendor sprawl and operational complexity

By consolidating policies and authentication methods, organizations reduce attack surface and create a foundation for adaptive, context-aware controls.

Why consolidation comes first

Passwordless authentication is only as strong as the identity behind it. Consolidation ensures:

• A consistent identity store
• Standardized policy enforcement
• Unified reporting for compliance and audit

It transforms passwordless from a point solution into a platform capability.

Phase two: Introduce self-service identity verification for credential reset and account recovery

Password resets are not just inconvenient; they are operationally expensive and clinically disruptive. Forty percent of organizations identify reduced help desk tickets as a key expected benefit of passwordless initiatives.

A practical first expansion into advanced and passwordless access is to implement biometric-based, self-service password reset (SSPR).

How it works

Instead of relying on knowledge-based questions or help desk intervention, users verify identity through facial biometric authentication and identity verification capabilities.

Why this is a low-risk, high-impact step

• Reduces help desk workload
• Minimizes downtime for clinicians
• Strengthens identity assurance compared to a knowledge-based reset

From a regulatory perspective, biometric SSPR improves audit defensibility by tying resets to verified biometric identities rather than shared or guessable information. Operationally, it delivers a visible win without overhauling core workflows. Clinicians experience fewer lockouts, and IT teams see immediate reduction in reset tickets.

This step builds confidence — in both the technology and the change process.

Phase three: Expand into passwordless desktop access and offline MFA

Once authenticators are consolidated and identity proofing is strengthened, organizations can extend passwordless access deeper into clinical workflows.

Passwordless shared workstation access

Healthcare environments rely heavily on shared devices. Advanced and passwordless access tools bolster existing access management capabilities such as fast single sign-on (SSO) and context-aware multifactor authentication (MFA) with passwordless options — facial authentication, passkeys, badges, PINs — to reduce or eliminate password entry.

This addresses measurable workflow pain points:

• Delays in patient care (41%)
• Wasted clinical time (35%)

By enabling badge-tap access and biometric confirmation, authentication becomes proximity-based, integrated, and session-aware.

Offline MFA for continuity of care

Healthcare networks are not always stable. Traditional MFA models often fail during connectivity disruptions. Advanced and passwordless access architectures support offline MFA, enabling secure access even when network connectivity fluctuates.

This reduces:

• Lockouts during outages
• Manual fallback procedures
• Clinical workflow interruptions

From a compliance standpoint, offline MFA ensures security controls remain enforced even during infrastructure instability.

Phase four: Add adaptive authentication and continuous session intelligence

Passwordless authentication removes static credentials. Adaptive authentication makes access intelligent.

Zero Trust principles require continuous verification, not one-time trust decisions, which is why advanced and passwordless access extends IAM tools by making access decisions dynamic and adaptive.

Risk-based authentication orchestration

With risk-based authentication, organizations can step up authentication when risk increases, and reduce friction when risk is low. Adaptive authentication evaluates context — location, device, timing, behavior — and applies additional verification only when warranted.

This is particularly important for:

• Remote access
• High-risk workflows (EHR, PACS, EPCS)
• Privileged access scenarios

Continuous session monitoring and Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR)

Modern threats target identity rather than infrastructure. Therefore, advanced and passwordless access capabilities include Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) to detect anomalous identity behavior in real time.

ITDR enables:

• Real-time threat detection
• Continuous risk evaluation
• Automated response to identity risk

This directly maps to survey-identified priorities:

• Stronger identity security and phishing resistance
• Continuous session monitoring and behavior-based analytics

Adaptive authentication and ITDR operationalize Zero Trust rather than layering additional prompts.

Extend what you already trust

For existing Imprivata customers, the roadmap doesn’t start from scratch.

Imprivata Advanced and Passwordless Access (APA) is delivered as part of our healthcare-proven, Imprivata Enterprise Access Management (EAM) platform. EAM already ties access decisions to identity, device, location, and workflow context.

Extending EAM to include APA means:

• Leveraging the existing identity store and authentication footprint
• Avoiding large-scale re-enrollment
• Preserving familiar shared workstation workflows

This reduces the integration burden that 57% of respondents cite as a primary barrier and lowers change management risk for clinicians (52%).

Instead of introducing another point solution, organizations extend a trusted foundation into passwordless, adaptive, and intelligence-driven access.

From aspiration to execution

Bridging the passwordless gap is not about flipping a switch. It is about sequencing change:

1. Consolidate authenticators and identity proofing.
2. Deploy biometric-based self-service reset to reduce friction and help desk volume.
3. Expand passwordless desktop access and offline MFA for resilience.
4. Layer in adaptive authentication and continuous identity intelligence.

And each phase delivers incremental value:

• Reduced help desk demand
• Faster access and fewer lockouts
• Stronger phishing resistance
• Real-time detection of anomalous identity behavior

The result isn’t merely password elimination. It’s a more mature identity posture aligned with Zero Trust, regulatory expectations, and the realities of clinical workflows.

Next step: Define your APA roadmap

Every healthcare environment has unique integration constraints, device density, compliance obligations, and workforce dynamics.

A structured roadmap session can help you:

• Assess current authentication fragmentation
• Identify high-impact early wins
• Map new Imprivata capabilities to your Zero Trust and compliance objectives
• Build a phased plan that minimizes disruption

Schedule a demo to explore what Imprivata Enterprise Access Management and Advanced and Passwordless Access can do for your organization.