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25/06/2026 3:09 pm
TL;DR: Clinician burnout is being compounded by slow EHR logins, password resets, and shared-device friction, while mobile access programmes can materially improve workflow speed and staff satisfaction, according to Imprivata. The governance issue is that access design is now a care-delivery control, not just an IT convenience.
NHIMG editorial — based on content published by Imprivata: Why simplified mobile access is the key to happier clinicians and better patient outcomes
By the numbers:
- 92% of respondents agree mobile devices are essential clinical tools.
- 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.
- 63% greater ROI, resulting in around £1.1 million in savings compared to £680,000 without a policy.
Questions worth separating out
Q: How should healthcare teams reduce EHR access friction without weakening security?
A: Start by removing repeated logins, unnecessary password resets, and reauthentication steps from high-frequency care workflows.
Q: Why do shared mobile devices create governance problems for IAM teams?
A: Shared devices create governance problems because access state, device state, and user identity all change across shifts.
Q: How do security teams know whether a shared mobile programme is working?
A: Look for fewer lockouts, lower help desk volume, faster application access, and fewer device-related delays during shifts.
Practitioner guidance
- Measure login friction by clinical workflow Track password resets, reauthentication frequency, and lockout rates by role and care setting so you can identify where access delays interrupt patient care.
- Treat shared mobile devices as governed identity endpoints Maintain device inventory, session accountability, and access assignment together so shared handsets do not become informal access bypasses.
- Pair passwordless access with audit-ready IAM policy Roll out passwordless and SSO only alongside explicit access ownership, review cadence, and exception handling for clinicians using shared devices.
What's in the full article
Imprivata's full article covers the operational detail this post intentionally leaves for the source:
- The article breaks down the clinician workflow problems behind EHR access friction, including password resets, repeated logins, and shared workstation reauthentication.
- It provides the shared mobile device survey findings that support the ROI case for mobile access programmes in healthcare settings.
- It expands on the specific access capabilities used to reduce friction, including passwordless sign-in, SSO, and biometric access.
- It outlines the programme controls needed to make shared mobile access workable at scale, including device management and IAM policy.
👉 Read Imprivata's analysis of simplified mobile access and clinician burnout →
EHR access friction and clinician burnout: what IAM teams miss?
Explore further
25/06/2026 4:29 pm
Access friction is now a governance issue, not a usability complaint. Clinicians are not ordinary office users, and EHR access cannot be judged only by security strength or password policy compliance. When repeated authentication interrupts care, identity design is directly shaping operational throughput, workforce morale, and patient service quality. The implication is that healthcare IAM programmes should be measured against clinical workflow latency, not just authentication coverage.
A few things that frame the scale:
- 70% of organisations grant AI systems more access than they would give a human employee performing the exact same job, according to The 2026 Infrastructure Identity Survey.
- Only 44% of organisations have implemented any policies to manage their AI agents, despite 92% agreeing that governing AI agents is critical to enterprise security.
A question worth separating out:
Q: Who should own mobile access policy in a healthcare environment?
A: Mobile access policy should be jointly owned by IAM, clinical operations, and endpoint or device management teams. That shared ownership is what makes access rules practical, auditable, and aligned to care delivery instead of being treated as a one-time technology rollout.
👉 Read our full editorial: Simplified mobile access is now an EHR burnout control
