The quick response barcodes previously used for gaining access to public space are proving more beneficial.
A Chinese health QR code indicating a device user’s wellness status during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic has now become an efficient component of local hospital reservation systems.
The color-coded barcode was created to display the phone user’s risk level for COVID-19.
A new partnership between the Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital and the Shanghai Big Data Center allows the medical facility to access a patient’s health QR code. This information becomes available when an individual requests an outpatient services reservation.
This barcode, as previously described in an earlier QR Code Press report, is available through the Suishenban app, as well as through both Alipay and WeChat. It is displayed in one of three colors. Green provides the user with general public access. Yellow is displayed for people returning from regions or countries affected by COVID-19 and whose access to public locations is restricted. Red is for patients who are either suspected cases or people who have been diagnosed with the coronavirus. The code updates with the condition of the individual.
This health QR code is now used to help improve the efficiency of the hospital outpatient services.
“When a patient makes a reservation for outpatient services online or on the hospital’s DIY machine, our system, which connects with the big data center, can know their QR code and tell them what to do next. Those with a green code can continue the reservation, while those with yellow and red codes are told to wait until their code turns green,” explained the hospital’s outpatient office director, Mi Yiqun.
The system even has a quick response barcode system for the elderly, who may not have smartphones or don’t know how to use them. In those cases, an identification card is entered into the hospital’s system and a barcode is displayed automatically designating the color. Mi Yiqun pointed out that only the day before, three people had requested outpatient services who were found to have a yellow barcode.
The health QR code helps to turn what had previously been a pre-reservation interview into a quick check that requires only a few seconds. Moreover, this helps hospitals to avoid dishonest answers during the interview. Some patients were suspected to have been lying about their travel history in order 
to be able to obtain the services they wanted. With the barcode confirming the truth, those with green codes can use the hospital freely while saving medical personnel considerable paperwork and time.
