QR codes are becoming more common in the world of health care. The codes are useful as a tool for direct interaction between patients and physicians. In fact, they are being used for such an end in a new campaign from the Pennsylvania State University. The campaign is called “Real-Time Care Experience Feedback” and is part of the 2012 REACH Developer Challenge. The university is using QR codes to collect feedback from patients that have visited hospitals in the local area.
Patients are able to scan the codes with their smart phones and submit their experiences with hospital personnel and how they were treated by the hospital in general. The codes are located on placards that are situated throughout participating hospitals. When a patient submits their feedback, a patient-experience response team will contact them to assist with any need they may have. These teams are meant to be available at all hours of the day, but some hospitals have not yet reached that standard due to staff shortages.
QR codes are quite famous in the world of advertising, gaining acclaim for their ability to distribute dynamic digital content amongst consumers. The codes have more uses beyond marketing, of course, and they appeal to the medical world in the same way they appeal to advertisers. The main challenge in using the codes is helping patients understand how they work and for what they are being used.
