Feasibility of quick response-based quality improvement projects in an urban primary care setting: A cross-sectional survey

Keywords: Digital technology, Educational technology, Health facility administration Introduction Quick response (QR) codes, initially developed by Denso Wave Incorporated, Japan, in 1994, are two-dimensional barcodes capable of storing extensive data.1 With a QR code reader on a camera-enabled mobile phone, physical QR codes can be seamlessly linked to digital information.1 In healthcare, QR codes can play pivotal roles in identifying patients, managing hospital assets and optimising various operations, including operating room protocols.2,3 They also facilitate streamlined data collection and analysis, enhancing care delivery efficiency and effectiveness for healthcare providers.4 Moreover, QR codes improve medical data accessibility and enhance the security of patient information exchange between healthcare systems.5 QR codes offer patients access to reliable health information, enhancing their understanding of medical conditions, treatments and procedures while fostering patient engagement.6 Additionally, they facilitate online appointment scheduling and contactless check-ins, reducing waiting times and enhancing overall patient satisfaction.7 Previous research has also demonstrated that the use of QR codes reduces self-administered medication errors.8 This comprehensive approach ultimately leads to improved health outcomes and lower healthcare costs. Notably, QR codes have been instrumental in initiatives such as the United Kingdom (UK)s National Health Services Test and Trace COVID-19 application, Malaysia's MySejahtera application and Chinas QR code system, facilitating symptom monitoring, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine, health status certification and travel authorisation during the pandemic.9 QR codes provide a range of advantages that contribute to their widespread adoption and utility. According to an online survey by Statista, the proportion of people using QR payments in Malaysia surged from 25% in 2021 to 61% in 2022.12 However, our investigation found no local surveys addressing QR code utilisation in the context of primary care. To date, there exists a dearth of research examining the prevalence of smartphone usage and familiarity with QR code scanning specifically among primary care patients in Malaysia. [...]the primary objective of this study was to ascertain: (a) the level of ability of primary care patients to use a smartphone, their prior usage of a smartphone to obtain medical information and their familiarity with QR code