Abstract
The study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using QR code-enabled medical bracelets for congenital heart disease (CHD) patients after hospital discharge to ensure quick communication of vital information to other medical personnel in emergency situations. A prospective study was conducted where QR code-enabled medical bracelets were given to families of postoperative pediatric cardiac patients. The QR code linked to a secure medical information sheet detailing the patient’s cardiac history. Post-study surveys were completed by providers and families to assess their experiences with the bracelet. Of the 20 participants enrolled, 65% used the QR bracelet when seeking medical care. 55% found the bracelet useful, and 70% rated their experience as either “positive” or "very positive". Additionally, 80% recommended the bracelet for other patients undergoing cardiac procedures. The use of QR code bracelets for postoperative CHD patients has shown high levels of satisfaction from families and providers, potentially reducing medical errors and treatment delays.
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Abbreviations
- QR code:
-
Quick Response code
- CHD:
-
Congenital heart disease
- EMR:
-
Electronic medical record
- UMMCH:
-
University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital
Funding
This study was funded by a grant awarded to the University of Minnesota by Abbott for research in pediatric heart care.
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Contributions
Benjamin Smith assisted in the design of the medical bracelet, assisted in identifying and recruiting study participants, collected data, carried out the initial analyses, drafted the initial manuscript, and revised the manuscript. Gwenyth Fischer assisted in identifying and recruiting study participants, and critically reviewed and revised the manuscript for important intellectual content. Brittany Faanes assisted in the design of the medical bracelet, assisted in identifying, recruiting, consenting study participants, collected data, and critically reviewed and revised the manuscript. Pranava Sinha assisted in identifying and recruiting study participants, and critically reviewed and revised the manuscript for important intellectual content. Varun Aggarwal conceptualized and designed the study, assisted in the design of the medical bracelet, supervised data collection, and critically reviewed and revised the manuscript.
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Competing interests
VA is a consultant for Medtronic and Abbott. GF is a consultant for Abiomed. The other authors have no example conflicts of interest to disclose.
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Smith, B.J., Fischer, G., Faanes, B. et al. Enhancing Congenital Cardiac Postprocedural Care: A QR Code-Enabled Medical Bracelet Pilot Study. Pediatr Cardiol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-024-03457-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-024-03457-1