From 13 minutes to instant access: Optimizing your shared mobile program

Clinicians waste an average of 13 minutes per shift just getting mobile devices ready to use. With the right approach to shared mobile access, you can reduce that to seconds - enhancing efficiency, security, and patient care.

What if you could give your clinicians back 13 minutes at the start of every shift? With the right shared mobile strategy, you can.

According to the 2025 State of Shared Mobile Devices in Healthcare report, the average time it takes to assign a mobile device at the start of a clinician's shift is 13 minutes. That's wasted time in the most time-sensitive environment in the world. The fix isn't "more phones" or "more rules." It's a purpose-built, identity-driven mobile access model that makes device checkout and sign-on nearly instant, and keeps devices in a ready, personalized state for every user.

The 13-minute problem hurts patients, not just productivity

The start-of-shift assignment becomes a bottleneck when the basics, such as availability and battery charge, are not dependable. The report identifies the top causes as: limited device availability (40%), time-consuming shift handovers (39%), manual/legacy allocation (35%), andlow battery (35%). Add these up, and you consistently waste the first ten-plus minutes of a shift just getting clinicians ready to work.

Access and usability: How the minutes disappear

Hospitals understand the burden of technology friction. 87% report access challenges such as clinicians getting locked out of devices, and 86% report usability problems like broken devices, low battery, and missing apps. Furthermore, 26% still rely on usernames/passwords as the primary method for mobile apps, which all but guarantees slowdowns and reauthentication churn.

"Security slows everything down. Every time a different nurse picks up a device, they need to re-authenticate. Good for safety, sure, but when you've got a code blue, nobody wants to fumble with passwords."

- IT decision maker, 1,000+ bed facility, Australia.

To clinicians, it feels like security is the problem. In reality, the problem is how the technology is designed and implemented.

The workaround that multiplies risk: Personal devices at the bedside

When shared devices are unavailable or slow to access, clinicians do what they do - they find a workaround for the sake of their patients. 81% of respondents say personal devices are often used as workarounds when shared devices aren't available. That creates new attack surfaces and HIPAA exposure, while undermining the ROI of the shared device fleet you already paid for.

The scale of the opportunity, and the cost of doing nothing

The industry isn't retreating from shared mobile; it's doubling down. 99% of leaders expect shared-use devices to increase over the next 12-24 months. The business case is clear: organizations that choose shared mobile devices over individually allocated ones save an average of $1.1 million per year. Plus, facilities with a fully implemented shared mobile policy realize a 63% higher ROI than those without - $1.4 million versus $860,000.

Translation: the shared mobile model works best, but only when you can manage identity and readiness end-to-end.

Do nothing, and the bill grows in more ways than one. 23% of shared devices go missing annually, and locating a single missing device costs an average of three hours per week in care team delays. 26% of organizations report that it can take up to 12 hours to find a single device. Meanwhile, 75% report frequent help desk calls to fix lockouts - at roughly $70 per ticket, that really adds up.

Security exposure also rises: 79% of respondents report that users share credentials on shared devices, 74% say devices are frequently left signed in, and 49% aren't fully confident that patient data is protected on shared devices. So, it's no surprise that 44% of survey respondents cite data security as the top shared mobile challenge.

Why policy changes alone won't fix this

Some teams attempt to "standardize" their way out of these challenges by implementing more procedures, requiring additional sign-offs, or enforcing stricter handover forms and processes, but that only adds more friction. Even the best policies can't charge batteries, stage apps, select the best device for the next clinician, or create an audit trail by themselves.

You need the right policies backed by the right technology.

What "instant checkout" actually requires

If your goal is to reduce a 13-minute checkout to seconds, you need a robust, mission-built, shared mobile solution - i.e., Imprivata Mobile Access Management. Our solution solves the 13-minute problem with:

1. Two-second badge-tap authentication and session start
   Replace passwords with badge-tap authentication on a smart device charging hub. With one tap, it takes just two seconds to assign the best available device - one that's charged, HIPAA-compliant, and ready to work.
2. Automatically optimize user experience

Intuitive displays guide users through the necessary steps, saving time at check-in and checkout, while single sign-on (SSO) streamlines app access, reducing time and frustration.

1. Persona-based app and settings profiles
   On checkout, automate personalization with role-appropriate apps, communication groups, and notification rules. On return, auto-wipe and session termination ensure privacy, and devices are locked down until next use.
2. Real-time location and chain-of-custody
   Every device checkout, shift handover, and return generates an audit event, recording who took which device, when, and where, plus which apps they accessed. That audit trail is how you locate devices quickly and support accountability.
3. Charging and health optimization
   Don't just park devices; optimize them. Assign the devices with the healthiest batteries and the most charge to avoid clinician frustration and patient care delays. Then quickly flag ailing devices in the admin console for replacement or remediation to get ahead of problems before they arise.
4. Help desk deflection baked in
   A clinician should never have to call the help desk to unlock a device or app. Identity-driven, passwordless login and reset options, such as face authentication, eliminate the IT ticket burden - and the $70-per-ticket drain - without compromising security.

Proof points you can't ignore

Mobile is already widely considered indispensable to modern healthcare: 92% of healthcare leaders agree that mobile devices are essential, and 100% agree that care teams benefit from enterprise mobility. The top clinical perks?

• 84% say devices decrease time to care
• 86% say they help reduce length of stay
• 94% say they improve clinical staff satisfaction
• 90% say they save time and reduce clinician burnout

Shared-use mobile amplifies all of those gains - if you implement the right shared mobile solution.

What this means for patient-centered care

Cutting out technology friction increases time and focus at the bedside. When clinicians start their shifts with an instantly ready, personalized device, everything downstream accelerates: secure messaging, order entry, care team coordination, and documentation. That translates into faster time to care, fewer delays, and a calmer clinical environment.

Transforming 13-minute access to two seconds

If your goal is "seconds, not minutes," you need a comprehensive, purpose-built mobile access management platform that can make that goal a reality. Imprivata Mobile Access Management provides robust security while enabling badge-tap checkout, policy-driven personalization, and comprehensive audit trails - with analytics that demonstrate impact.

Exchange 13 minutes of frustration for nearly instant access and reclaim time and energy that clinicians can redirect to patient care.

For the full data and methodology of the report, plus additional insights, download The2025 Imprivata state of shared mobile devices in healthcare report: Insights, risks, and solutions.