Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has deployed Imprivata OneSign solution to provide streamlined access to medical applications via single sign-on (SSO) technology.

When looking for a new solution, Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals had to consider legacy system integration. The Trust needed a solution that could be implemented into the organization’s network infrastructure without requiring any changes to the Active Directory schemas. Trust officials said Imprivata OneSign was able to provide flexibility in addition to supporting the hospital’s choice of smart card devices for strong authentication.

"At Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals, we are constantly looking for ways to improve operational procedures in order to enhance the standard of patient care that we are able to provide," said Neil Racher, senior IT project manager at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals. "Security and productivity benefits have been clearly visible since the project began, and we are now developing the roll-out to the next phase by actively engaging with the Accident & Emergency department."

With the implementation of OneSign, Trust officials expect to strengthened user authentication, streamline application access and simplify compliance reporting. Officials said that, so far, the temptation for users to share passwords and accounts has been negated which has improved security, and the speed at which end-users can access patient data has increased, leading to productivity and patient care improvements.

The Imprivata solution offers a Self Service Password Reset feature which has helped in reducing password lock-outs for staff working outside of IT helpdesk hours. Trust officials said this has further improved the efficiency of access across the hospital’s multiple sites.

"As well as improving data access from the end-user perspective, the OneSign platform also facilitates auditing capabilities which allow IT staff to track which users have accessed data and when," said Racher. "This provides huge governance benefits at a time when the NHS is making a concentrated effort at improving and securing IT access management."

Serving a population of more than 410,000, the Foundation Trust has deployed SSO across 40 applications, enhancing user access to patient data whilst improving the organization’s security policy.