Use of iPhones by Nurses in an Acute Care Setting to Improve Communication and Decision-Making Processes: Qualitative Analysis of Nurses' Perspectives on iPhone Use

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Smartphones and other mobile devices are having and will continue to have an impact on health care delivery in acute settings in Australia and overseas. Nurses, unlike physicians, have been slow to adopt these technologies and the reasons for this may relate to the status of both these professions within the hospital setting. OBJECTIVE: To explore nurses' perspectives on iPhone use within an acute care unit. We examined their experiences and views on how this device may improve communication and decision-making processes at the point of care. METHODS: Two focus group discussions, using a semistructured interview, were conducted over the trial period. The discussions focused on th..