Shared mobile devices, shared success: How healthcare leaders are redefining clinical mobility, security, and ROI in 2025

Shared mobile devices are transforming care delivery in 2025. Discover how healthcare leaders are achieving greater efficiency, stronger security, and measurable ROI with data-driven mobility strategies from Imprivata’s latest report.

The 2025 Imprivata state of shared mobile devices in healthcare report reveals a clear truth: mobile technology has become essential to modern care delivery. Ninety-two percent of healthcare IT and clinical leaders agree that mobile devices are critical to bedside care — a finding echoed in conversations with experts across the industry.

Two recent Imprivata events brought these findings to life. In a webinar with Wellstar Health System, IT and clinical leaders explained how their shared-device strategy has boosted efficiency, reduced burnout, and improved security. And during a recent LinkedIn Live with Microsoft product management, Imprivata clinical leadership explored how deep technology integrations are making simple, secure shared mobile workflows not just possible but transformative.

Together, these conversations highlight a unified theme: when healthcare systems align people, processes, and technology around shared mobile device programs, they achieve more efficient and secure operations, as well as better clinician experiences.

Why shared mobile devices matter

“Shared mobile devices are more secure, more cost-effective, and preferred by many clinicians — but only if implemented well,” said Rachel Pickering, Product Marketing Manager at Imprivata and moderator of both events.

And that “if” really matters. According to the Imprivata report, hospitals that move from individually designated to shared mobile devices save an average of $1.1 million per year. Still, those gains depend on thoughtful deployment and management.

Wellstar Health System learned this firsthand. “We were expanding fast,” said Clay Hall, IT Security Manager at Wellstar. “Moving to a shared model let us reclaim funds and repurpose them for new areas without needing new capital. It’s efficient and sustainable.”

From the clinical side, Claire Reilly, RN, MSc, Chief Nursing Informatics Officer and VP of Clinical Operations at Imprivata, noted that one-to-one device ownership is “idealistic — but not realistic.” Nurses need technology that supports, not burdens, their work. “If you cost-center lost devices to nurses, they’ll walk. Burnout is real, and shared models reduce that pressure,” she said.

With shared devices, clinicians can simply tap in, grab the most charged phone, and tap out when done — no cords, no personal liability, and no downtime.

ROI and efficiency: Doing more with less

The report confirms what forward-thinking organizations already know: shared mobile programs are as much about efficiency as cost savings.

At Wellstar, the shift to shared devices reaped the benefits of reduced inventory and improved access. Instead of hundreds of underutilized, individually assigned devices, they built a managed pool that is always refreshed, sanitized, and ready for every shift.

This efficiency extends to IT operations. When a device fails, clinicians can simply return it to a smarthub for a wipe and reset and check out a work-ready device in seconds. “If a phone stopped working, nurses would just put it down and grab another,” Hall said. “Now, with Imprivata Mobile Access Management, they can dock it, take another device, and get back to care.”

The result: fewer help desk tickets, fewer delays, and more time and energy to focus on patients.

Clinician workflows: Keep it simple

Even the best technology fails if it slows clinicians down. That’s why both discussions emphasized simplicity and automation.

According to the report, 62% of staff struggle with device accessibility, and manual sign-out processes add an average of 13 minutes at the start of each shift. For frontline staff, that’s crucial time lost.

“When I can tap in, auto-fill apps, and hand the device back without paperwork — that’s what makes technology a gift,” said Reilly. “It keeps nurses with their patients, not stuck at a desk signing out phones.”

Imprivata’s frictionless access, enabled through badge tap, single sign-on, and biometric authentication, reduces login fatigue and boosts compliance. “The ability to just dock a phone and walk away at the end of a shift has been a real relief for our clinicians,” Hall added.

During the LinkedIn Live, Dr. Sean Kelly, Chief Medical Officer at Imprivata and practicing ER physician, put it simply: “It’s all about workflow, workflow, workflow. If you can improve workflow for clinical workers, you get higher resiliency, less burnout, and safer patient care.”

Security, accountability, and trust

As mobile use expands, so can risks. The report found that:

• 74% of devices are frequently left signed in after use
• 79% of staff report credential sharing
• 81% resort to personal devices when access is slow

These behaviors create exposure points for data breaches, compliance violations, and lost productivity.

Dr. Kelly pointed out the human factor: “Doctors, nurses, techs — we’re all trying to care for the patient in the fastest and safest way possible. If technology gets in the way, we work around it. Security needs to be done in a way that works for the human beings using it.”

That’s exactly what Imprivata and Microsoft have achieved through integration. With Imprivata Mobile Access Management and Intune, users authenticate with a badge or biometric recognition, while IT maintains full control over device provisioning, compliance, and data protection.

Pallavi Joshi, Senior Product Manager for Microsoft Intune, explained: “Healthcare IT teams can define baseline security standards — HIPAA, CIS, NCSC — and automatically enforce them. If a device is misplaced or unreturned, it can be identified in lost mode, locked down, or remotely wiped.”

Meanwhile, Imprivata’s asset tracking capabilities create end-to-end visibility: administrators know who took which device, when, and where it was last used. They can quickly flag overdue or misplaced devices and accelerate the return process. That accountability dramatically reduces loss and the associated financial and compliance risks.

The three pillars of a successful mobile program

Imprivata’s approach to shared mobile programs can be summarized in three principles, as outlined by Pickering during the Wellstar session:

1. Availability – Ensure devices are charged, updated, and consistent across use cases.
2. Security – Protect them as rigorously as any workstation.
3. Access – Make secure authentication effortless for end users.

“When you do those three things,” Pickering said, “you not only secure your fleet, but unlock the full potential of your mobile workflows.”

Partnerships that power care

The 2025 shared mobile report underscores a key insight: collaboration is everything. Shared device success requires alignment between clinical, IT, and security teams — and increasingly, between technology partners.

Imprivata and Microsoft’s integration reflects this spirit of partnership. “Healthcare organizations want the best of both worlds,” said Kelly. “They want fewer devices to manage, but they also want those devices to feel like they belong personally to each user. Imprivata and Intune make that possible.”

For clinicians, that means picking up any device and seeing a personalized workspace — apps, data, and settings ready within seconds. For IT, it means a secure, fully managed environment that meets compliance mandates and minimizes overhead.

From device management to workforce empowerment

Ultimately, shared mobile programs aren’t just about managing devices; they are about empowering people.

“When you start with all three — clinical, IT, and security — you get a stable stool,” Reilly noted. “Leave one out, and it wobbles.

That balance is what enables healthcare organizations to move from reactive to proactive. Devices aren’t liabilities, but assets that improve care coordination, increase uptime, and boost morale.

And the data backs it up:

• Fewer lost or idle devices
• Reduced IT burden and support tickets
• Faster clinician access to critical systems
• Lower capital costs and maximized ROI
• Stronger compliance and patient data protection

It’s a model where everyone wins — from IT administrators and security officers to nurses, physicians, and, most importantly, patients.

The future of clinical mobile

The 2025 Imprivata state of shared mobile devices in healthcare report makes one thing clear: shared mobile devices have matured from an operational strategy to a clinical imperative.

Organizations that align technology investments with clinician experience, security, and workflow integration are realizing measurable returns — financial, operational, and human.

As Dr. Kelly put it, “You make the right thing to do the easy thing to do. That’s when technology truly helps people practice at the top of their license.”

The future of mobile healthcare isn’t about owning more devices. It’s about sharing them securely and intelligently, so every clinician can focus on what matters most: delivering exceptional patient care.

Download the full 2025 Imprivata state of shared mobile devices in healthcare report to explore the data and insights shaping the next phase of clinical mobility.