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 for healthcare delivery organisations 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: ageing infrastructure, inefficient technology, and frustrating access workflows.

A clinician’s job is to care for patients. Too often, however, they encounter barriers created by the very systems and technologies meant to support them. Research reveals that nearly half of doctors 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 When care delivery is slowed by password fatigue, disjointed workflows, and outdated mobile access processes, it results in frustration, delays, dissatisfaction, and ultimately burnout.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 carries a hefty price tag. A 2024 KLAS Research report shows that each burned-out doctor represents around £63,000 in lost 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 organisations, many other factors such as cumbersome workflows, inefficient technology, and dated legacy infrastructure have been impacting clinicians for years. Now, they’ve become impossible to ignore—especially since new tools are available that are specifically designed to solve these problems and remove the source of friction.

Why optimising 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 memorising long passwords or juggling multi-factor 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 programmes deliver strong ROI and usability benefits when deployed effectively, such as:

  • £870,000 average annual savings when organisations 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 organisations haven’t fully optimised mobile access. In fact:

  • 87% of clinicians report access issues on shared mobile devices
  • 86% face usability issues such as dead batteries, missing apps, or unavailable devices
  • 23% of shared mobile devices are lost each year, causing operational delays that consume 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 programmes need an identity and access management strategy

The solution to this challenge isn’t simply more devices 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: organisations with a fully implemented shared mobile policy see 63% greater ROI, resulting in around £1.1 million in savings compared to £680,000 without a policy.

To maximise that value, organisations 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 of which impact 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 optimised, clinical workflows accelerate, burnout decreases, and patients benefit.

Learn more about how to improve clinical efficiency with Imprivata.