Research and analysis
National mobile health worker project
A study on introducing mobile devices at 11 NHS pilot sites showing the benefits of mobile technology for health staff and patients.
Documents
Details
The aims of the study were to understand the requirements of mobile working, and to demonstrate whether increased productivity and efficiency can be achieved by making changes to working processes.
The findings include:
- significant increases in productivity can be achieved, as demonstrated by large increases in contact activity
- significant increases in time spent with patients following deployment of mobile devices - John Taylor Hospice near Birmingham found that using laptops more than doubled the amount of time clinicians could spend with patients
- unnecessary journeys can be reduced, even where clinical activity is increased - North Tees and Hartlepool Foundation Trust found each clinician could save as much as £889 per year as driving to and from hospital in between visits fell, because health workers could log patient information on a laptop
- time spent travelling can be reduced
- data duplication can be reduced significantly, freeing up clinical time
- ‘no access’ visits can be reduced significantly - the study found NHS Northampton could save as much as £978 per clinician, per year
- significant saving in referrals can be achieved
- significant savings in admissions can be achieved.
A progress report was published in August 2011
Updates to this page
Published 16 January 2013