Growing pressures on hospitals and clinicians put access management at the center of patient care and security strategies

Healthcare organisations are increasingly recognising the heavy toll that slow, manual authentication processes like long, complex passwords place on clinicians, as new peer-reviewed research highlights how login demands continue to hinder care delivery. The study, published in Advances in Health Information Science and Practice (AHISP) and conducted in collaboration with Imprivata, evaluated 55 hospitals across the UK and Ireland. It found that clinicians are routinely required to authenticate into numerous applications, sometimes up to twenty per shift, resulting in significant delays, workflow disruptions, and rising levels of frustration.

While electronic patient records (EPRs) and digital tools have been critical to improving documentation and reducing clinical errors, the study notes that the growing volume of credentials has compounded pressure on an already strained workforce. These findings echo concerns raised by the 2024 Darzi Report, which noted widespread perceptions across the NHS that healthcare IT often adds to clinicians’ workload rather than alleviating it. The AHISP study also offers a solution, outlining how access management technology can play a central role in reversing this trend.

“Deployment of an SSO/AM solution offers considerably greater impact and value than just an expedited login method – it is a cornerstone of secure, efficient, and clinician-friendly digital care,” said Dr. George A. Gellert, researcher and external medical advisor to Imprivata, in a recent Health Tech World article. “For health systems seeking to advance clinician workflows, enterprise cybersecurity and operational/financial efficiencies, the technology offers a high-impact, robust and proven path forward.”

Hospitals that deployed single sign-on and advanced access management solutions reported a marked reduction in login burden, smoother transitions between applications, and stronger adherence to security policies. Time-and-motion analysis showed that desktop login times fell by 60 percent and application access became more than 50 percent faster after implementation.

Researchers also observed a corresponding improvement in cyber hygiene. Prior to deployment, many clinicians relied on shared credentials or avoided logging out to maintain workflow continuity. With streamlined authentication and automated session management, these risky workarounds were dramatically reduced, improving auditability and overall data protection.

The cumulative impact is significant, as an estimated 3.3 million clinician hours were redirected from typing passwords back to patient care annually across the study sites—equivalent to 278,000 twelve-hour shifts. On average, hospitals recovered nearly £1 million per year in productive clinical time.

As the NHS and healthcare systems across Europe continue advancing their digital strategies, the study positions modern access management not simply as a cybersecurity control but as a clinical enabler. By returning time to the frontline, improving staff satisfaction, and reinforcing essential privacy safeguards, access management technology aligns closely with national efforts such as the NHS 10-year Plan to scale digitally enabled care, strengthen operational efficiency, and stabilise the clinical workforce.

The full paper offers further detail on the study’s methodology and national implications.