We appreciate Dr. Tirer’s comments, which address two important issues not included in the original article.
First, Remote Wipe Authority is a common security feature included in mobile device management policies at many institutions. While a remote wipe can effectively delete sensitive data on a device, it is not specific to HIPAA-related data and can limit the ability to subsequently track the device (depending on the operating system). A more elegant approach would be selective wiping of HIPAA-compliant apps and data to limit the impact of personal data loss (should the device be recovered later) while also more effectively preserving tracking functionality.
Second, we agree that pager technologies still provide significant advantages over cellular-based mobile devices in some settings. However, despite their limitations, generational changes are driving rapid expansion of smartphone utilization. While not as dependable as traditional pagers today, cellular service areas have dramatically increased in size with significant...