As it relates to communication with team members during clinical responsibilities, the Heersink School of Medicine is committed to three guiding principles:

1. Keeping the health information of our patients secure

2. Protecting our students from the vulnerabilities that come with electronic communication of patient information. 

3. Providing ways for our students to be fully integrated team members during all clinical experiences.   

Options for secure communication

For students engaged in clinical activities at UAB Hospital, you are not required to have access to Intune and Vocera to participate in clinical activities at UAB Hospital.  If you do not choose either of the options below, you will not have access to a secure communication system and you may not electronically communicate patient information.  Texting is not secure and texting patient information is in violation of HIPAA. 

Students who wish to have access to InTune and Vocera have two options:

1. You may download the Intune and Vocera software onto your own device. This will allow you to securely communicate electronically with your teams about patients in your care. You may use any device which meets the technical capabilities required to run the software. Note: "You will need your UAB Health System account and password throughout the enrollment process. If you have forgotten your UAB Health System username or password, please contact Health System Information Services at (205) 934-8888."

2. If you do not wish to download the Intune and Vocera software onto your personal device but want access to Intune and Vocera to securely communicate with your team, you may opt into a one-time communication fee – currently $499.00 -- that will be assessed to your financial aid. Devices that can support the Intune and Vocera software will be provided to you. To select this option, click here. (Note: These devices will be wifi-enabled only). 

Before making the decision about which option to select, we encourage all students to review the FAQs below.

Downloading guides

• Intune Enrollment on Android Devices
• Intune Enrollment on Apple Devices
• UAB Medicine Multi-Factor Enrollment Guide
• VCS Installation & Setup

FAQ

1. What is/isn’t collected or controlled by the InTune and Vocera software? There is some monitoring of the device to restrict certain apps, collect device model and OS version etc. 
a. Certain end user data or content is never collected. Intune doesn't collect nor allow an admin to see the following data:
i. An end users’ calling or web browsing history
ii. Personal email
iii. Text messages
iv. Contacts
v. Passwords to personal accounts
vi. Calendar events
vii. Photos, including those in a photo app or camera.
b. Click here for more information. 

2. Will I have to turn over my device to get Intune and Vocera installed?
a. No, HSIS has training videos that can be access with your uabmc.edu accounts. Students will be responsible for following the video instructions to install this software on their devices prior to working in UAB Hospital clinical settings. 

3. Can the InTune and Vocera software be uninstalled when I’m not working in UAB Hospital? 
a. Yes. Like all other software, InTune and Vocera can be installed and uninstalled as needed. 

4. What will happen to the Intune and Vocera software once I graduate?
a. These can be easily removed, returning the student’s device to its prior status. If the student is to pursue post-graduate training at UAB Hospital, they will already be ahead of the curve.

5. Will the communications fee I was charged when I started medical school be refunded, since the iPad Minis we were given can no longer be used?
a. No. The communications fee was used to purchase the iPad Mini. While it is unfortunate these devices are no longer supported and cannot be used in the hospital, they retain the ability to still be used by the student for other purposes. 

6. If I opt into being charged the communication fee to receive a separate phone, is that phone mine to keep when I graduate? 
a. Yes. You will have purchased the phone via the communication fee.

Contact

If you have general questions regarding this information, please contact Jason Noah.