What clinicians could accomplish if technology got out of the way

Claire Reilly, RN, MSc, Chief Nursing Informatics Officer and VP Clinical Operations, Imprivata

Why simplified mobile access is the key to happier clinicians and better patient outcomes.

In 2025, clinician burnout remains a persistent challenge at healthcare delivery organizations across the globe, with many being asked to do more with fewer resources, shrinking budgets, and high turnover rates. But while staffing shortages and burnout dominate headlines, quieter culprits are compounding the pressure: aging infrastructure, inefficient technology and frustrating access workflows.

A clinician’s job is to care for patients. But too often, they encounter barriers created by the very systems and technologies meant to support them. Research reveals that nearly half of physician’s report spending too much time on clerical tasks, with many citing electronic health records (EHRs) as a top contributor to burnout. What’s more, 65% of nurses report high stress, and 40% say they wouldn’t choose the profession again. When care delivery is slowed by password fatigue, disjointed workflows, and outdated mobile access processes, it results in frustration, delays, dissatisfaction, and burnout.

And yet, these problems are fixable.

Burnout isn’t just a workforce problem. It’s a financial one.

While clinician burnout has a significant impact on morale, it also comes with a hefty price tag. A 2024 KLAS Research report shows that each burned-out physician represents an $80,000 loss in revenue. In addition, the severity of burnout directly correlates with clinicians’ likelihood of leaving the profession within two years.

Although the pandemic intensified stress and burnout across healthcare organizations, many other factors like cumbersome workflows, inefficient technology, and dated legacy infrastructure have been impacting clinicians for years. Now, they’re just becoming impossible to ignore, especially since there are new tools available specifically designed to solve these problems and remove the source of friction.

Why optimizing EHR access matters now more than ever

According to KLAS research, one of the most effective ways to reduce early-stage burnout is to improve the EHR experience. That means going beyond traditional UI/UX and tackling the daily access issues that interrupt clinical workflows, including:

  • Frequent password resets
  • Repetitive logins across multiple systems
  • Time-consuming reauthentication during shifts
  • Inability to easily access shared workstations or mobile devices

Clinicians should not be burdened with memorizing long passwords or juggling multifactor authentication just to reach patient data. When authentication is smooth and secure, powered by solutions like single sign-on (SSO), passwordless authentication, and biometric identification, clinicians gain back time and stay focused on patient care.

The role of mobile access in improving clinician experience

Mobile devices are now essential in healthcare. According to the 2025 Imprivata State of Shared Mobile Devices in Healthcare Report, 92% of respondents agree mobile devices are essential clinical tools, and 99% expect shared mobile use to increase in the next two years.

In particular, shared mobile programs deliver strong ROI and usability benefits when deployed effectively, such as:

  • $1.1M average annual savings when organizations choose shared use over 1:1 models
  • 67% of clinical leaders cite better coordination and communication
  • 54% report improved access to clinical applications
  • 51% say mobile use accelerates patient care
  • 90% say mobile use helps reduce clinician burnout
  • 94% say mobile devices improve staff satisfaction

When mobile access works, clinicians can move faster, patients are seen sooner, and everyone benefits.

Inefficient access is still a workflow barrier

Despite these benefits, many organizations haven’t fully optimized mobile access. In fact:

  • 87% of clinicians report access issues on shared mobile devices
  • 86% face usability issues like dead batteries, missing apps, or unavailable devices
  • 23% of shared mobile devices are lost each year, causing operational delays that consumer an average of three hours per week per device for teams overseeing device management
  • 75% of care team members frequently contact the help desk due to being locked out

Even with the right technology in place, an ineffective strategy for managing it results in poor processes and outdated workflows—undercutting ROI, slowing down care, and frustrating frontline teams.

Why shared mobile programs need an identity and access management strategy

The solution to this challenge isn’t more devices for the workforce every time one goes missing or is rendered useless. It’s better, holistic, and integrated identity and access management, as well as clinician and IT collaboration throughout the implementation process. The results prove it: organizations with a fully implemented shared mobile policy see 63% greater ROI, resulting in $1.4M in savings compared to $860K without a policy.

To maximize that value, organizations need:

This level of integration both protects patient data and empowers clinicians to do their best work, without the distraction of poor access workflows and inefficient technology.

More time spent on what matters most: patient care

Technology should never get in the way of care. Yet, too often, clinicians are stuck waiting for mobile devices to work properly, resetting passwords, or calling the help desk, all while impacting patient experience and outcomes.

Healthcare technologies and digital tools must be reliable, efficient, and secure to be effective and worth the investment. When EHR and mobile device access is optimized, clinical workflows accelerate, burnout decreases, and patients benefit.

Learn more about how to improve clinical efficiency with Imprivata.