Evidence meets execution: How 2025 made shared clinical mobility the standard for healthcare

Shared mobile devices are essential for modern healthcare. Peer-reviewed evidence and new Imprivata data reveal how to make them work their best – friction-free, securely, scale.

The era of shared mobile devices in healthcare has arrived, and the question is no longer whether they add value, but how to manage them to maximize that value and boost ROI.

Two complementary 2025 publications point to the same conclusion from different vantage points. A research article published in Advances in Health Information Science and Practice (AHISP) provides a peer-reviewed endorsement of enterprise-owned shared devices, and spells out what clinicians need to make shared mobile work. The Imprivata 2025 state of shared mobile devices in healthcare report supplies the operational data: where the ROI comes from, why friction persists, and how identity-driven access closes the gap.

Together, they mark a turning point. Frictionless clinical mobility isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity.

The AHISP endorsement of shared mobile and Imprivata

The AHISP survey captures the clinician’s perspective on mobile devices. Nearly half of respondents (47.5%) said mobile devices are more efficient than workstations for completing clinical work, with 32.5% considering them equal. The apps clinicians most frequently accessed on mobile devices were for clinical communications (69.2%) and EHR access (66.7%), reflecting how care coordination and documentation have moved to the bedside.

Yet enthusiasm is tempered by logistics: only 37.2% wanted expanded mobile use, with many undecided. Over 60% of respondents reported often or sometimes forgetting mobile passwords, and 58.3% reported user frustration due to missing or misplaced devices. Clinician experience was also impacted by less-than-ideal device assignment, with 44.7% reporting no defined process and 15.5% using a manual process.

AHISP makes the solution explicit

The article is explicit about how shared mobile devices should be handled, directly stating that mobile access management tools are required to streamline secure authentication, improve interoperability, and reduce IT administrative burden.

And AHISP doesn’t merely reference those tools in the abstract. Citing an earlier case study at Yale New Haven Health, the authors describe a working model of Imprivata Mobile Access Management that automates provisioning and enables proximity badge access, reducing login friction while strengthening policy enforcement. In other words, AHISP both legitimizes shared devices as integral to modern workflows, and points to Imprivata solutions as the practical pathway.

Clinicians see the efficiency of shared mobile devices, but they also feel the friction — password fatigue, device handoffs, lost phones, and inconsistent policies. AHISP’s call to action is clear: make clinical mobility frictionless and secure with enterprise-grade identity and access controls to maximize the benefits.

2025 shared mobile data: Scale, savings, and sustainability

Based on a survey of 400 leaders (61% IT, 39% clinical) across the US, Canada, UK, and Australia, the findings of the 2025 Imprivata shared mobile report show clinical mobility has become standard operating equipment for healthcare. 92% of respondents agreed that mobile devices are essential care tools, and 99% expected shared mobile use to increase over the next two years.

Tangible ROI

The economics of shared mobile are decisive. Facilities using shared-use devices reported an average annual savings of $1.1M compared to facilities with one-to-one or BYOD programs. And when organizations implement a fully formed shared-device policy, they realize a 63% greater ROI — about $1.4M versus $860k annually. This policy maturity effect is one of the report’s most actionable insights: the gains don’t just come from choosing the shared-device model, but from applying identity-driven access and consistent management.

But friction persists

The same dataset shows why many clinicians have mixed feelings about shared mobile. 87% reported access challenges; 62% said staff “somewhat or very often” struggle to access shared devices, and 86% reported usability issues (e.g., broken or uncharged devices, missing apps). Assignment alone consumes an average of 13 minutes per user at the start of shifts — death by a thousand cuts that adds up across the enterprise.

Security practices lag, too. 79% of respondents said staff share credentials on shared devices, and 74% reported that devices are often left signed in. 95% of IT leaders said their mobile programs need better auditing, and 99% said they need to improve how they control application and data access. These findings reflect a systemic need for unified, identity-driven access, as stated in the AHISP article.

The high cost of device loss

The Imprivata report quantifies another problem that the AHISP article alludes to: 23% of shared-use devices are lost annually. The impact of this goes beyond replacement costs. Care teams lose up to three hours per week per missing device, and in a quarter of organizations, it can take a full shift to locate one. Yale New Haven Health attributes approximately $500k/year in avoided loss-related expenses after they implemented policy-enforced checkout with identity-based tracking.

Narrative throughline: AHISP argued that enterprise-owned, shared mobile programs require enterprise-level, identity-driven mobile access management to balance usability with security. Imprivata’s 2025 data shows that when organizations operationalize that guidance, they save more, reduce risk, and work faster — not in theory, but proven by day-to-day metrics that leaders can track.

The human impact: More time with patients, less time wrestling with logins

Both sources converge on the same human truth: the value of shared clinical mobility is not about the device; it’s about time. AHISP frames “frictionless mobility” as a way to reduce burnout by removing unnecessary steps between clinicians and their ability to deliver prompt care for patients.

The Imprivata survey quantifies those sentiments:

• 90% said mobile use saves time and reduces burnout
• 94% said it improves clinical staff satisfaction
• 84% agreed it decreases time to care, and 86% said it can reduce length of stay — signals that well-run mobile workflows speed up operational efficiency, not just the clinician

These benefits don’t materialize when access is slow, devices go missing, or credentials are shared. They emerge when identity follows the clinician — tap to check out a device, fast authentication into the EHR and clinical messaging, automatic policy application, and auditable checkout/return. That’s the difference between a hardware rollout and a strategic clinical mobility program.

What leaders should do now

So, what should healthcare leaders do with this information? Stop piloting and start standardizing.

Mobility is no longer experimental. 92% of leaders already call mobile devices essential to clinical workflows, and 99% expect future growth. The question is whether your approach is fully implemented or fragmented, because a fully implemented mobile strategy consistently outperforms in risk reduction, ROI, and satisfaction.

Five moves that link evidence to execution

1. Make identity the control plane.
   Treat identity as the consistent thread across devices, apps, and data. Rapid badge-based or biometric face authentication on shared devices cuts logins from minutes to seconds, shrinks help-desk volume, and creates an auditable trail without encouraging credential sharing. AHISP calls for this, and the Imprivata report shows that this is where the ROI blossoms.
2. Codify the policy — then automate it.
   The 63% higher ROI change isn’t accidental. Organizations with a fully implemented shared-device policy (from assignment to sign-out) reliably realize materially higher savings. Document the policy, implement it in software, and remove manual steps like paper sign-out sheets or ad-hoc handoffs, then reap the rewards.
3. Close the loop on device lifecycle.
   With 23% annual loss rates, you need real-time checkout/return and location visibility. When check-ins are identity-based and automated, loss drops and accountability rises, which is why Yale New Haven’s identity-driven program recaptured approximately $500k/year.
4. Design for shift change, not just sign-in.
   The average 13 minutes it takes to assign a device at shift start is a solvable problem. Pooling, automated allocation, battery health checks, and ready-to-use app sets reduce pre-shift drag and the temptation to use personal devices (an issue that 81% admit creeps in when shared devices are unavailable).
5. Measure what matters: time to care, not just tickets.
   Track access failures, reauthentication events, time-to-first message on clinical comms, and device availability at shift start. These are leading indicators of clinician experience and patient throughput, and outcomes that both the AHISP article and Imprivata report connect to well-managed clinical mobility.

The 2025 turning point for shared mobile in healthcare

AHISP gives healthcare leaders the real-world validation and clinical guidance to pursue shared devices with confidence: mobility is integral to the healthcare information ecosystem and can reduce burnout when it’s frictionless. The Imprivata report proves the operational case: shared devices, managed with identity-driven access, save money, reduce risk, and improve care. Plus, organizations that fully implement a shared mobile strategy earn a 63% greater ROI.

The message is consistent and powerful. Shared mobile devices are not an experiment in innovation. They’re an operational imperative. Move beyond pilots and piecemeal policies. Implement identity-driven mobile access management with Imprivata to align clinical efficiency, IT manageability, and care quality.

For more data-driven insights, check out the 2025 Imprivata State of Shared Mobile Devices in Healthcare report: Insights, Risks, and Solutions.