Authors (including presenting author) :
Chan WW (1), Wong TY (1)
Affiliation :
(1) Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Queen Mary Hospital
Introduction :
QR code initially developed for the automobile industry, enabling people to link directly to a website, document or multimedia file. It has been well adopted in many aspects of healthcare, which can contribute to improved patient safety. Our unit has produced resources to support healthcare professionals in clinical practice. Traditionally, they are printed paper forms, however this practice is problematic in terms of keeping paper version updated, and repeatedly printing documents is not in line with the sustainability value of Hospital Authority. Although these resources can be retrieved from the Queen Mary Hospital (QMH) intranet site as well, it is difficult for staff to access an available computer, and searching for the relevant documents could be time-consuming in busy wards. Inspired by widespread increased use of QR codes in public places since the COVID-19 pandemic, the midwifery team produced a pocket-sized card containing multiple QR codes, enabling clinical staff to gain instant access to obstetric protocols at the point of care and hence benefit clinical outcomes.
Objectives :
- To enhance clinical efficiency in retrieving clinical information needed by the QR code card
- To explore staff satisfaction in using the QR code card, and to identify opportunities for enhancing the initiative based on their feedback
- To reduce paper waste in clinical settings by creating a self-updating alternative
Methodology :
The midwifery team chose 5 intricating yet important clinical management and procedures encountered in the antenatal ward (K9S) and compiled into 5 QR codes. Another QR code was linked to the Obstetrics protocols in QMH intranet, which can be self-updated. With IT and clerical support, altogether 6 QR Codes were compiled onto a pocket-sized card to allow easy navigation. A sample size of ~25 midwifery staff in K9S QMH well received the cards in Nov 2024, and they could scan the QR codes from their smart phones/ devices, with relevant guides and information available at the point of care, e.g. the STD QR Code provides relevant details in specimen collection. On the back side of the QR code card, it features Rainbow phone contacts, with the usage of the DECT phone numbers categorized according to different colors. It has been tested using Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles for continuous control and improvement of the card.
Result & Outcome :
The frequency of using the QR code card would have enabled the midwifery team to monitor how well the card has been received by clinical staff in K9S. The QR code card has proven to be particularly useful for new midwifery staff who may still familiarize themselves with obstetric admission and emergency management; and to align practices within the team. Qualitative feedback from the ward staff has been collected as follows:
- “It’s such a quick and easy way to get to the resources we need for non-booked admissions.”
- “The contents embedded in the QR codes are coherent to the clinical practice.”
- “As a newcomer, I feel confident to perform the STD screening independently with the QR code card.”
In the next phase, our team is keen to broaden the use of QR codes, e.g. more procedures involved or in other clinical settings. Furthermore, quantitative evidence, e.g. % of reduction in document retrieval time or paper savings could be collected to better demonstrate the impact. It is also recognized that, if the particular QR codes were being accessed more frequently, this might highlight comprehensive training needed to which the team could respond in those areas.
