Security

Review: How Healthcare IT Teams Can Better Manage Their Apple Devices

Healthcare organizations need a reliable, cloud-based platform to manage the multiple Apple devices running on their networks.

Fionna Agomuoh

Fionna Agomuoh is a technology journalist with over a decade of experience writing about various popular topics. She lives in Brooklyn, where she enjoys exploring the city, finding new restaurants and cocktail lounges, and planning her next trips.

Healthcare organizations handle thousands of devices daily, so optimizing device management has become an integral goal for them as they become more connected.

That management isn’t limited to the IT department. Organizations must manage the devices used by clinicians, other hospital staff and even patients, which means making sure that privacy and security are at the forefront.

One platform solution that is especially secure and efficient for Apple-based devices is Jamf Pro, which allows end users to share devices efficiently, without needing an IT team to manually wipe and reset them.

The ability to facilitate seamless device sharing without manual intervention showcases the platform’s value and further highlights its vital role in modernizing the healthcare space with simple front-end solutions.

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Jamf Pro Allows Easy Device Sharing

Jamf Pro’s setup and reset feature allows users to select the role they require, and the system will load the corresponding interface. These roles include nurse, pharmacist, technician and patient, and include the applications and services that each profile needs. The roles are customizable based on the organization’s preferences.

The solution works well with Apple iPad devices in a healthcare setting. Previously, this was a tedious task because of the unique applications and settings different hospital workers had on their devices. A user would have to take a device directly to the IT team to be wiped and reset before it could be transferred between staff members. This process put more work on an already tightly stretched IT teams and was ripe for automation. Jamf Pro’s setup and reset tool works for hospital staff and can be expanded to patient support as well.

At the bedside, Jamf Pro will also automatically reset through a process called digital sterilization when a patient switches rooms or checks out of the hospital, without the need for manual intervention from the IT department. The Jamf Self Service app store allows patients to request apps that they want installed on their Apple iPad devices during their stay.

How Jamf Pro Supports Virtual Care

Jamf Pro also includes a solution called Virtual Visits, which is supported by Microsoft Teams and Zoom. It allows physicians and patients or their loved ones to communicate remotely. The device-agnostic feature keeps patients in control of communications.

The function has also revealed itself as a useful tool to keep patients and physicians safe if a case is dire enough that they cannot be in the same room together. They can still communicate, and doctors can accommodate patients’ needs and carry out treatment.

Integration within Jamf Pro seems boundless, including more than 300 third-party customization solutions from well-known brands, including Microsoft. Once onboarded, organizations can access the Jamf Marketplace and browse about 40 solutions available for healthcare. One solution that has been integrated into the Jamf Pro setup and reset feature is NavvTrack, which keeps track of the whereabouts of Apple iPad devices.

Jamf Pro has long been a useful tool in healthcare for employees and patients alike. The platform hosts a multitude of healthcare-focused services still managed by IT personnel on the back end that are presented as easy-to-use interfaces on the front end. Many available features tackle common challenges in healthcare spaces and minimize the time devices are away being serviced, keeping them ready for staff and patients.

SPECIFICATIONS

PRODUCT TYPE: Endpoint management system
SUPPORT OFFERING: Apple device management
APPLE COMPATIBILITY: Mac, iPad, iPhone and Apple TV
SERVICE VERSION: Jamf Pro 11
SERVICE ENGAGEMENT TYPE: Annual, per-user subscription

Device Management Advice from Healthcare Experts

Cybersecurity continued to be a major topic at this year’s Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society global conference and exhibition.

Healthcare leaders discussed the challenges of managing thousands of identities across their organizations, including hundreds or even thousands of smartphones and tablet devices, MRI machines, bedside equipment, and more.

At California-based El Camino Health, Deputy CISO Lawrence Smith stresses the importance of monitoring east-west network traffic and microsegmentation. “You need to be doing continuous network inventory,” he said at HIMSS24.

With more than 30,000 endpoints, El Camino Health has worked hard to understand the granular details of the devices that access its network. Smith noted the organization’s record of teamwork across departments, from clinical engineering to IT, in managing devices.

EXPLORE: Follow these security best practices for modern workspace management.

Similarly, Stanford Health Care leaders shared their experiences with managing mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet devices.

IT teams don’t want to impede workflow, but such devices need “stringent security review,” said Helena Findikaki, senior manager of technology and operations at the organization.

Loss prevention is a major issue in device management, so teams have to act quickly when a device is first reported missing, added Steven Banaban, lead system engineer at Stanford Health Care.

“Healthcare has specific needs. We need to be enterprise-ready,” he said.