Mobility

VA Deploys Tablets to Improve Service to Veterans

Tablets streamline business processes and deliver timely information to staff.

Google+ Twitter

Steve Zurier is a freelance technology writer based in Columbia, Md.

Striving to respond to the needs of veterans in the wake of ongoing revelations about long waits and poor service, the Department of Veterans Affairs has embarked on an aggressive program to deploy tablets throughout the agency.

By the end of fiscal year 2014, the VA had distributed 7,500 Apple iPads to 18 facilities around the country. Physicians, nurses, radiologists, mental health and ancillary healthcare professionals, clinical support staff and clinicians of all stripes were invited to participate in the pilot.

CIO Stephen Warren says the agency will acquire up to 20,000 more tablets in the next fiscal year to improve patient care. Tablets give clinicians complete and secure access to patient records through a Citrix interface to VistA, the VA’s information system. Doctors can move from exam room to exam room, looking up test results while traversing the medial center and consulting with one another.

10.6%

The estimated average increase for enterprise mobility spending in 2014

SOURCE: VDC Research, “The Global Market for Enterprise Tablets,” September 2014

Local IT staff and assistants also use mobile technology to improve business processes, identify staffing needs and track payroll and budget uses. “Mobile devices help employees be more mobile in the day-to-day aspects of the job, but also help when unexpected circumstances arise, like inclement weather or building closures,” Warren says.

Chris Silva, a Gartner research director who focuses on mobility, says the VA is one of many organizations looking to use tablets to make their staff more efficient. “We get a lot of queries from organizations asking if they should move to a tablet from their notebooks. And while tablets can be an ideal form factor for some highly mobile roles, there are software and management considerations that must accompany these decisions,” he says.

Mobility at Justice

Department of Justice CIO Joseph Klimavicz says tablets are widely used throughout the agency’s divisions, and it has deployed more than 97,000 mobile devices in all.

Across DOJ, the agency uses a variety of tablets to meet mission needs. “We are focused on business productivity and providing staff with tools to access applications and files, share, and collaborate from anywhere, anytime,” Klimavicz says.

Four Hidden Tablet Costs

Chris Silva, a Gartner research director who focuses on mobility, says that while tablets can make organizations more flexible and productive, there are additional costs that IT departments should be aware of before making the switch.

1. Incorporate mobile device management software. Some organizations try to use the MDM features in existing client or wireless management tools, but organizations should plan to spend $4 to $10 monthly per device on a dedicated MDM tool. These products can wipe lost or stolen devices and push apps out to new devices.

2. Budget for replacement devices. Tablets are more fragile than notebooks, and because of their inherently mobile nature, the devices are also prone to being left in taxis or airports. Set aside some funds to replace broken or lost devices.

3. Deploy middleware for document integration. Whichever document management system is deployed, the organization will need middleware to tie the document management system to the tablet.

4. Determine an app development strategy. Most organizations begin using tablets for email and file sharing, but the highest value comes from role-specific mobile applications. Budget for application development or decide if it makes more sense to outsource this function.

Ximagination/thinkstock