Bolton NHS Foundation Trust has extended its deployment of Imprivata’s single sign-on system with the addition of Imprivata Mobile Device Access, which gives clinicians secure access to eObservations using a mobile device.

Imprivata Mobile Device Access allows care professionals to record and store patient information at the point of care by tapping proximity badges onto terminals equipped with Imprivata OneSign card readers.

This ensures clinicians have up to date information and patients receive the right level of attendance, based on their current status and clinical progression.

By analysing patient observations, care givers can identify any signs of deterioration and make appropriate clinical judgements, significantly improving patient outcomes.

Phillipa Winter, CIO of Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The primary objective of the eObservations project is to improve patient safety and quality of care, ensuring patients receive the best care to improve outcomes.

“Imprivata Mobile Device Access is an important factor in achieving this goal. When time is of the essence, every second counts; clinicians now have fast and secure access to the most up to date patient information to inform clinical decisions and patient care.”

Bolton NHS Foundation Trust already uses Imprivata Authentication Management, Single Sign-On and Virtual Desktop Access to securely access information in the trust’s virtual desktop environment.

The trust uses Patientrack’s eObservation system.

Prior to the launch, a sample trial was conducted on a ward with several devices shared between a number of clinical staff members.

Following successful testing and user trials, the solution was installed on 500 mobile devices which were deployed over eight weeks as part of the eObservations project.

Over than 1,000 members of staff now have access to the mobile devices, which are located in banks of between seven and 10 devices on wards across the trust.

All staff use their own proximity cards, which ensures they are logged in using their own credentials and results in accurate audit trails on patient care.

Observations are conducted regularly on patients according to their care plan and entered directly via the mobile device, removing the need for maintaining paper records.

Dr Simon Irving, CCIO at Bolton NHS FT, said: “The Imprivata solution has minimised the administration burden on healthcare professionals and delivered tangible benefits in the care of patients.

“The positive impact has driven us to review what other applications we can make accessible via mobile devices to staff on the move.

“We now have the potential to deliver more applications into the hands of clinicians and utilise technology to make a measurable difference in patient care without compromising information security.”

Reducing the log-in burden

Last week, health secretary Matt Hancock pledged £40m to improve log-in systems for NHS IT, in a bid to save staff thousands of wasted hours.

A core area of focus will be rolling out multi-factor logins and single sign-on systems that reduce the need for staff to be authenticated on multiple systems.

Gus Malezis, president and CEO of Imprivata, said: “Effective use of technology plays a crucial part in delivering the complex, multi-disciplinary care that patients expect today. Digital identity and single sign-on (SSO) provides fast, efficient, and secure access to healthcare IT systems including legacy and modern EHR systems with access to up-to-date patient information.

“SSO that is designed to enhance and support natural clinical workflows will boost engagement and break down the barriers to care. It provides a ‘quick win’ for IT because the end-users that have been struggling with complex passwords and overly long login times gain measurable improvements in their work experience, which in turn translates into enhanced patient experience and outcomes.”

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