PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Wolters
Kluwer Health, a leading global provider of information and
point-of-care solutions for the healthcare industry, today
announced results of a new survey that looks at the mobile device,
Internet, and social media usage habits of nurse
practitioners. According to the findings,
nurses are increasingly relying on mobile devices, social media and
the Internet. The findings indicate that 65 percent of nurses
surveyed said they currently use a mobile device for professional
purposes at work. The study also found that, according to the
practitioners, 95 percent of healthcare organizations allow
nurses to consult websites and other online resources for clinical
information at work.
The survey uncovered that 83 percent of nurses perceive that
their organization's policy allows patient care staff access to
public web sites, including social media, to access general health
information that will help them with patient conditions. The
findings reveal that 65 percent of nurses are using mobile devices
for professional purposes at work at least 30 minutes per day,
while 20 percent use them for two hours or more. Also
notable, these same results indicated that the vast majority of
organizations strictly prohibit actual interaction with patients
through the technology.
"These findings largely mirror what we are seeing outside the
hospital, that use of mobile devices to access online information,
the Internet and social sites are becoming part of the social
fabric both personally and professionally," said Judith McCann, Chief Nurse, Lippincott
Solutions, Wolters Kluwer Health, Professional &
Education. "Although these findings may not reflect the
actual policies of these institutions, what's interesting are the
perceptions of the nurses who work there, and what we learned is
that nurses are frequently incorporating the use of mobile devices,
online resources and, to some extent, social media into their daily
workflow."
Although many institutions are embracing mobile devices, McCann
cautions that not all information is created equal. This is
especially true in healthcare where what is acceptable and current
can change quickly. According to McCann, even hospitals that
had strict policies against mobile device use are finding that they
can offer enormous benefits when they provide access to secure,
trusted content. "It is important that nurses are not using
their mobile devices to get just any questionable answer that they
find." added McCann. "It has to be the 'right' answer, so
it's paramount that they are turning to evidence-based clinical
information that has been vetted and is consistently updated."
A few more highlights of the survey and the nurses' perceptions
include:
- 89 percent of healthcare organizations allow nurses to use
online search engines at work
- 60 percent of respondents say they use social media to follow
healthcare issues at work and 86 percent say they follow healthcare
issues on social media outside of work
- Roughly one-half of the respondents saying that their
organization blocks access on company networks to social sites such
as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube
- Within the 95 percent who say they access health information at
work, 48 percent of respondents say their healthcare institutions
encourage nurses to access online resources; 41 percent allow for
occasional use; and 5 percent only as a last resort
- Among those who use mobile devices at work, Nurse Managers, at
77 percent, are more likely to use them than Staff Nurses, at 58
percent
These results are similar to the results of a 2013 Wolters
Kluwer Health physician survey that found a majority of physicians
are now using mobile devices in their daily practice, including 80
percent reporting using a smartphone and 60 percent using a
tablet. According to this research, physicians are more
likely to use smartphones to access drug information and for
communication purposes, while tablets are more commonly used to
gain access to medical research and medical records, as well as
access to reimbursement and billing information.
Nurses are also using mobile devices as a preferred means to
access trusted drug information. According to McCann, more than
445,000 clinicians downloaded the popular Nursing Drug Handbook
Apps since they first launched in 2012.
The latest survey was sponsored by the Lippincott Solutions
product team within Wolters Kluwer Health. Lippincott
Solutions is a series of comprehensive, integrated software
applications that includes advanced online workflow technology,
current evidence-based clinical information, and professional
development tools for the practicing clinician. The web suite of
products helps healthcare provider organizations make evidence
actionable at the bedside by supporting evidence-based practice,
standardizing care, saving time, streamlining workflows, and
fostering clinical excellence.
The survey results are published on the Lippincott Solutions
website at www.LippincottMobile.com. For more information
about how Lippincott Solutions helps healthcare organizations with
the latest evidence-based clinical information, visit
LippincottSolutions.com, and follow Lippincott Solutions on Twitter
@NurseSolutions.
About Wolters Kluwer Health
Wolters Kluwer Health is a
leading global provider of information, business intelligence and
point-of-care solutions for the healthcare industry. Serving more
than 150 countries worldwide, clinicians rely on Wolters Kluwer
Health's market leading information-enabled tools and software
solutions throughout their professional careers from training to
research to practice. Major brands include Health
Language®, Lexicomp®, Lippincott Williams
& Wilkins, Medicom®, Medi-Span®, Medknow,
Ovid®, Pharmacy OneSource®,
ProVation® Medical and UpToDate®.
Wolters Kluwer Health is part of Wolters Kluwer, a
market-leading global information services company. Wolters Kluwer had 2013 annual revenues of €3.6
billion ($4.7 billion), employs
approximately 19,000 people worldwide, and maintains operations in
over 40 countries across Europe,
North America, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. Wolters
Kluwer is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Its shares are quoted on
Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext
100 indices. Wolters Kluwer has a
sponsored Level 1 American Depositary Receipt program. The ADRs are
traded on the over-the-counter market in the U.S. (WTKWY).
Follow our official Twitter handle: @WKHealth.
SOURCE Wolters Kluwer Health