iOS Device Management and ACP Tools

This article provides context around Mobile Device Management (MDM) services and the best practices for deploying the ACP Tools App to iOS devices in your organization.

Device Management

Why should I use device management?

Device management providers can help streamline a few following areas: 

  • Configuring and Updating iOS Devices quickly and easily
  • Enforcing Security Policies
  • Locating, Deactivating, and Erasing Devices
  • Naming Devices Consistently (e.g. Nursing Home iPad 1, Nursing Home iPad 2)
  • Assigning Devices to Users within Your Organization
  • Automatically Installing Third Party Apps, Books, and other Content

What are the requirements for automatically setting up devices remotely?

If you want to setup devices remotely and automatically (instead of plugging in devices), you'll need three things:

  • Purchase your iOS devices from Apple or an Authorized Reseller
  • Enroll in Apple's Device Enrollment Program (DEP)
  • Provide configuration profile(s) using a Mobile Device Management (MDM) service to control and setup your devices

How does device management work?

Device management installs a small program including a file called a Configuration Profile on a device.  This file is a bundle of settings that the device will adhere to.  A device can have one or many different installed configuration profiles depending on management needs.  Examples might include:

  • Having devices automatically join a password protected Wi-Fi network
  • Preventing users from adding or removing specific apps
  • Hiding unused apps on a device
  • Disabling the camera or other peripherals

Settings specific to an advance care planning project could be added in addition to organizational security policies.  Configuration Profiles can be installed locally by connecting to a computer or remotely by enrolling a device in a Mobile Device Management (MDM) Service.

How would I setup a device management service?

Wouldn't it be great if each device you handed to your staff was setup automatically? The best way to roll out device management is by partnering with your organization's IT team. The initial setup requires some technical knowledge, but once configured, the process can be a seamless and wonderful experience for your team.

How does the ACP Tools App fit into a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) strategy?

In some organizations, users may be allowed to bring their own phone, tablet, or computer, as long as it meets the security and management policies of the organization.  This is commonly referred to as a "Bring Your Own Device" or BYOD strategy. As long as a device is enrolled in an MDM service, it can adhere to your policies, regardless of who purchased it originally.

Security and Legal Considerations

Does a patient need to provide consent each time a resource is viewed?

Each time a resource is viewed, a consent form will appear. This must be agreed to by the patient directly viewing the video or PDF.

Does the App store any private healthcare data on the device?

No private health care information is stored on the iOS device even when a user is signed in.  When a patient or health care professional signs in, the user enters their email address and a password.  These credentials are securely sent to My ACP Servers using industry standard SSL & TLS encryption and sensitive information is viewed remotely.  The app stays signed in using an anonymous session returned by the server.

App Network and Bandwidth Considerations

Is an internet connection required to sign in?

All users need to be connected to the internet via WiFi or cellular data when signing in.  If a health care professional plans to be at a location without connectivity, we recommend signing in and downloading the necessary resources in advance -- that way, they can still have access to the content that they need when an internet connection is not available. 

Is an internet connection required to play a video or view a PDF?

All users in the ACP Tools App have the option of downloading content they use most often.  Downloaded resources do not require a network connection to access.  If your WiFi network has issues supporting the minimum bandwidth requirements set forth in our Minimum System Requirements document, please coordinate with your technology team accordingly.

How much space is required for downloads?

We recommend downloading only the content you need most.  The ACP Decisions content library is growing constantly, with new videos and PDFs added every few weeks.  2 minutes of video requires about 30 MB of space to download.  A 2-Page PDF requires .75 MB.

The ACP Tools App includes a screen for managing downloads.  This lists each resource and the space required to download.  If the download is too big for the remaining space on the device, an alert informing the user of the issue will be shown.  Additionally, the download management screen can be used to remove downloaded resources from the device to free up space.