Hospital‐Based Clinicians' Use of Technology for Patient Care‐Related Communication: A National Survey. Issue 7 (1st July 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: O'Leary, Kevin J.; Liebovitz, David M.; Wu, Robert C.; Ravi, Ksheeraja; Knoten, Claire A.; Sun, Mengxin; Walker, Ashley M.; Reddy, Madhu C.
• Is Part Of: Journal of hospital medicine. Volume 12:Issue 7(2017)
• Page Start: 530
• Page End: 535
• Publication Date: 2017-07-01
• Subjects: Hospital care -- Periodicals; Clinical medicine -- Periodicals; 610
• DOI: 10.12788/jhm.2767
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1553-5592

Abstract

Abstract : OBJECTIVE: To characterize current use of communication technologies, including standard text messaging and secure mobile messaging applications, for patient care–related (PCR) communication. METHODS: We used a Society of Hospital Medicine database to conduct a national cross‐sectional survey of hospital‐based clinicians. RESULTS: We analyzed data from 620 survey respondents (adjusted response rate, 11.0%). Pagers were provided by hospitals to 495 (79.8%) of these clinicians, and 304 (49%) of the 620 reported they received PCR messages most commonly by pager. Use of standard text messaging for PCR communication was common, with 300 (52.9%) of 567 clinicians reporting receipt of standard text messages once or more per day. Overall, 21.5% (122/567) of respondents received standard text messages that included individually identifiable information, 41.3% (234/567) received messages that included some identifiable information (eg, patient initials), and 21.0% (119/567) received messages for urgent clinical issues at least once per day. About one‐fourth of respondents (26.6%, 146/549) reported their organization had implemented a secure messaging application that some clinicians were using, whereas few (7.3%, 40/549) reported their organization had implemented an application that most clinicians were using. DISCUSSION: Pagers remain the technology most commonly used by hospital‐based clinicians, but a majority also use standard text messaging for PCR communication, and relatively few hospitals have fully implemented secure mobile messaging applications. CONCLUSION: The wide range of technologies used suggests an evolution of methods to support communication among healthcare professionals.