Through this study, we found the most significant potential for using mobile technology to improve CPS work was using laptops in the field. Although the initial results suggest that this solution offers the biggest payoff, continued investigation is needed into device, user, and connectivity issues. More specifically, laptops with wireless connectivity allow caseworkers to perform a number of work activities, with time and location flexibility, but investments must still be made into infrastructure, support, and determining whether access to CONNECTIONS should be continuous or synchronized.

The possibility exists that improvement in CPS work can be multiplied by using a dictation device and a laptop together. Some caseworkers found dictating (rather than typing) to be a more efficient way to enter progress notes. This advantage, coupled with the laptop’s functionality, could potentially increase caseworker productivity, but more study is needed to verify this observation.