Physicians have rapidly embraced smartphones significantly beyond the general population leaving IT departments in hospitals grappling with demands from physicians that electronic clinical information systems be available through their devices.

"Five to 10 years ago they were saying, 'If only my docs would be using computers,'" C. Peter Waegemann, vice president for development of the mHealth Initiative, an organization that promotes mobile technology in health care told American Medical News. Now hospital executives complain that doctors are "using these smartphones all the time...and I don't know how to integrate it," he added.

Research firm Spyglass Consulting Group took a survey earlier this year of more than 100 physicians and found that 94 percent of them use smartphones for both personal and professional functions, including at the point of care. Another survey from Manhattan Research showed that 72 percent of doctors use smartphones for both personal and professional use, with the number expected to increase to 81 percent in 2012.

However, the obstacle physicians face is the ability to connect with existing clinical records at the hospitals they practice medicine in. George "Buddy" Hickman, executive vice president and chief information officer at Albany (N.Y.) Medical Center, found out through a survey of hospital executives, that 18 of the 52 hospitals that responded to his questions said they allow smartphone access to the hospitals clinical records.

For more:
- see this American Medical News article

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