Shared Smart Devices 2020
The Latest Generation of Devices for Nurses

Apple a Solid Performer; Healthcare-Specific Zebra Strong with Some Limitations; Vocera Good for Communication, Limited Elsewhere

Organizations using Apple iPhones (model 7 or newer) say the consumer-grade devices have no significant weaknesses but are not ideal for healthcare. The biggest strengths are call quality and network connectivity, which has improved since a partnership with Cisco. The phones themselves are seen as more durable than older versions, though most clients still purchase mophie or OtterBox cases. Despite the cases’ added expense, overall cost is near average because customers often buy the phones at lower price points through local carriers. Some clients rate Apple lower because of the inability to swap out batteries and concerns about updates causing issues.

Zebra’s TC51-HC device stands out for its rugged design and the ability to hot-swap batteries, which enables the phone to be used continually. Zebra receives higher support and inpatient workflow ratings than other measured vendors; most respondents have replaced legacy phones as a result and are also using Zebra devices for barcode scanning and (to a more limited extent) photo capture. Weaknesses include the weight of the phones (some mention they can weigh down scrubs) and high cost. Also, the grill that protects the microphone can get gummed up and muffle the caller’s voice; multiple organizations have had Zebra replace the grills. Customers are hopeful the new TC52-HC design will fix this problem.

The Vocera Smartbadge is used primarily for its push-to-talk functionality and secure texting. The device has good connectivity and very strong underlying software and security. The cost of the Smartbadge is seen as high considering it has less built-in functionality (e.g., no scanner or camera)—thus, perceptions of value are lower.

Apple Most Broadly Considered Thanks to Epic Integration; Zebra Strongest Android Option; Some Spectralink Consideration; Samsung Infrequently Considered

The Apple iPhone receives

Zebra Used for Most Applications; Apple Used Broadly; Vocera Deployments Still Early

The majority of Zebra respondents have implemented Zebra phones to replace legacy phones; they also leverage the phones’ barcoding functionality (for medication administration, specimen collection, etc.) and, to a lesser extent, the cameras. Both Apple and Zebra customers report wider ranges of fleet sizes—from small deployments to very large rollouts with thousands of devices. Apple had the largest rollout validated in this study (10,000+ devices). However, most Apple respondents are still in the process of replacing their legacy phones. Deployments of Vocera Smartbadges tend to be smaller in scope—no interviewed customers have deployed more than 400 devices. Replacing legacy phones with Smartbadges is feasible (a couple of organizations have done it), but most have not, mainly because they deployed their devices only in the last year and only in pilots in limited departments (e.g., ICU for voice calls and nurse call integration). Only proprietary applications can be used on Smartbadges; the devices are not designed for broader functionality.

Vendor Bottom Lines 

Rated Vendors

Apple: Consumer-grade devices. Can replace nurse toolbelt. Most frequently used with Epic or MEDITECH EMR. Most respondents are in process of replacing legacy phones. Chosen for Epic integration, sleek UI, App Store (primarily used for EMR access and secure communications), and native device security. When not selected, reasons include perception as a consumer device, lack of ruggedness, cost, and frequent updates/app changes seen as difficult to manage.

Vocera: Healthcare-grade devices. Limited deployments; most respondents still piloting devices in limited departments. Robust push-to-talk capabilities. Not designed to replace nurse toolbelt; does not offer integrated camera or scanner. Most customers use Smartbadge for voice calls, secure texting, and nurse-call integration.

Zebra Technologies: Most respondents using TC51-HC (healthcare grade). Device considered a strong clinical tool that can replace the nurse toolbelt, including legacy phones, scanners, and cameras. Rugged device with ability to hot-swap batteries. Widely used at Cerner and Epic organizations; favored by Cerner organizations. Compatible with all clinical communication platforms. Downsides include overall device cost and bulkiness.

Non-Rated Vendors

Ascom: First-generation device had very small screen, leading to minimal industry adoption. Newer device has larger screen, but mindshare and market share have not caught up. Little consideration in recent decisions. Those that did consider say users preferred the experience with other devices or felt the device had limited features or was too proprietary in nature.

Samsung: Several years ago, more commonly utilized as primary clinical shared devices. Most organizations making decisions today don’t seriously consider Samsung devices (consumer grade), preferring to utilize more rugged hospital-grade Android devices that allow battery hot-swapping. Historically, some customers have used other vendors for their primary device and used Samsung for secondary devices for clinical support staff who need less broad functionality, like transport teams, environmental services, or food/dietician teams.

Spectralink: Hospital-grade devices. Average consideration due to vendor history in phone systems. Initial version of shared smart device was bulky, had limited uptake. Past issues contribute to middle-of-the-road consideration today; reasons for not selecting Spectralink include limited install base and inability to get applications/EMR to work on devices.

About This Report

The research questionnaire for this study asked respondents to describe their own primary vendor’s performance and to identify what other shared smart device vendors they considered and why.

The data in this report was collected over the last six months; the number of unique responding organizations for each vendor is given in the chart below.

What Does "Limited Data" Mean?