Background: For decades, the main communication technology in hospitals has been the paging system. In the era of digital communication, smartphones have been adopted by hospitals seeking to modernize processes and offer real-time, two-way communication to increase efficiency.
Objective: The aim of this study was to explore physicians' and nurses' perceptions of the impact of smartphones on communication and efficiency.
Methods: Mann-Whitney U-tests were used to compare differences in item scores between physicians and nurses on 17 questionnaire items relating to smartphone impact on interpersonal relationships and communication, efficiency and reliability. An open-ended question was used to elicit additional feedback.
Results: In total, 43 nurses and 27 physicians participated in the study. Nurses' ratings were significantly higher than physicians' on a number of questionnaire items, including the following: smartphones have a positive impact on efficiency (Mdn = 4.0 vs. 3.0, U = 321.0, p = 0.027, r = .33), smartphones increase my accessibility to physicians (Mdn = 5.0 vs. 3.0, U = 277.0, p = 0.009, r = 0.42) and smartphones reduce interruptions versus pagers (Mdn = 4.0 vs. 2.0, U = 224.0, p > 0.0001, r = 0.47).
Conclusion: The findings suggest that smartphone technology may reduce the locus of control for physicians, potentially limiting their ability to prioritize patients' needs and manage workflow efficiently.
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