Nursing informatics is a branch of nursing that entails the incorporation of computer and information technology in developing and maintaining data systems that support nursing practice. The main focus of nursing informatics is to improve the quality of healthcare services delivered to clients and to promote the safety of patients through proper utilization of digitalization. Effective application of nursing informatics helps clients and healthcare providers attain positive health outcomes and minimize the occurrences of unanticipated events (Vottero, 2018).
Also, the incorporation of nursing informatics into healthcare systems has become a common trend in recent decades (Kennedy and Hussey, 2015). Nursing practice is dynamic and continues to evolve rapidly. Also, technology is advancing at a faster rate to match the evolving nursing profession. The Canadian Nursing Informatics Association (CNIA) supports practicing nurses in the application of technology in all clinical settings. The CNIA encourages nurses in Canada to develop innovative ways to boost their competencies in offering quality healthcare services to clients.
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Patient safety is a critical aspect of nursing practice. Safety is achieved through the integration and coordination of multiple aspects of patient care in clinical settings. Registered nurses are mandated to provide care, prevent and minimize the chances of adverse patient outcomes. Also, nurses in practice are encouraged to adhere strictly to the institutional policy guidelines and standards of practice. The Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI) creates awareness for healthcare providers across Canada to fully implement ideas that aid in delivering effective and safe patient care. The CPSI was formed to coordinate and provide leadership in matters of safe care delivery to Canadian citizens. Also, the CPSI reports that approximately 9000-24000 Canadians die annually as a result of preventable adverse events. Therefore, patient safety leads to a reduction of morbidity and mortality rates across the country.
In this era of globalization and industrialization, technology advancements are used in nearly all sectors to enhance efficiency and increase productivity. Technology in healthcare has wide coverage, and there are various electronic devices used in medical centers. The electronic health record applications include barcoding technology, electronic documentation, electronic MAR, clinical decision support, and physician order entry, among others. All these technologies play huge roles in the healthcare system, especially the barcoding technology. Barcoding technology has improved efficiency, and it has minimized the occurrence of the human error. This technology has significance in patient safety, scanning for access and accuracy, inventory control, track of materials, and medical management. This paper will review and summarize the literature on the current evidence pertaining to barcoding technology.
Description
According to Leung et al. (2015), barcodes are a series of printed parallel lines that have different widths. They are used to enter data into a computer system. Wherein codes are in binary digits 0 and 1. The digits represent numbers from 0-9, and that these bars can only be told apart by a computer. For this reason, installing a barcode system requires the use of advanced technology. Barcodes are used in different sectors across the globe. Healthcare has also adopted the use of barcode technology to aid in their daily operations.
Barcode technology is an important part of the healthcare innovation system. Technology has played key role in ensuring patient safety and helps in streamlining the admittance process as well as tracking medication given to the patient. Additionally, it helps in the identification of patients for the duration of their stay in a particular health facility. Specifically, there is the use of coded wristbands that assists for updating patient’s health records, as well as their needs.
With the use of the coded wristbands, the nurses only need to scan the barcode to gain access to the patient’s medical records and medications. Also, they are able to see if there are specimen samples needed required for the patient and do things in real-time. The barcodes are capable of recording and updating the medical records of a patient. When the nurses, scan the wrist band, it will record the time when the medication was administered to the patient, the dosage of the medication, and also record the receipt for ease of work during discharge.
Barcodes have a variety of uses in healthcare. They are used to view a patient’s medical records. Barcodes also help when a doctor needs to see notes that were written by another doctor concerning the patient. The codes also help in gaining access to information on any medication being taken by the patient. Both the doctors and the nurses are benefiting from the use of barcode technology to help care for their patients.
Summary
Barcoding technology is used in different fields to ensure better storage of data. According to Leung et al. (2015) , the technology is used in association with other forms of technological innovations such as computers to help in ensuring accuracy. The use of barcode technology has helped different industries to keep records of their products. It is used even in retail stores to keep inventories on the products available and those that are lacking. This element helps in the times of stock-taking. The logistics industry has also deployed the use of barcoding technology to ease their operations. For an organization to have a smooth running of its operations, there is a need to invest in the latest technology. Barcoding has been seen to be constant because of its benefits to the different places its use is applied.
In the healthcare system, barcoding has been a great help in ensuring the safety of the patients as well as easing the work of the healthcare workers ( Douglas & Larrabee, 2003) . Nurses and doctors have easier work because the information needed for them to their work is available and easy to access as long as they have the right access codes. The pharmacies in hospitals have also benefitted from the use of barcoding technology because they can keep an inventory of their medical supplies without amassing many files as it used to be in the past. Many healthcare providers across the globe have adopted the use of barcode technology because they have seen the difference it makes to the patients and their doctors and nurses.
The barcode system is mainly used in hospitals to store information regarding a patient. The information stored contains everything about the health of the patient as documented by the doctors and nurses who have attended them. This technology ensures that there are minimal chances of mistakes when it comes to administering medication to the patient ( Koppel et al., 2008 ). All the information is recorded including the dosage as well as the times when the medication is to be administered. There is a minimal chance that medication can be administered wrongly. Every patient is given a wristband that only has their records and it is hard to misplace such information.
One of the main importance of the technology is the fact that it helps in patient identification. Many of the hospitals that have the technology require their patients to put on a bracelet for the duration of their stay at the facility. The bracelets help the health practitioner to avoid cases of treating the wrong patient. The practitioner only needs to scan the bracelet to know if they are with the right patient.
The technology also helps in the management of medication. The barcoding of medication ensures that details such as the expiry date, dosage, manufacturer, and the name of the medication are indicated for ease of administration ( Cummings et al., 2005) . With the use of barcode technology, there is minimal chance of a nurse or doctor giving the wrong medication to a patient.
There are always fears from pathologists that specimens, from different persons, may get mixed up. Therefore, there have been numerous measures taken to ensure this does not happen. The implementation of the barcoding system ensures there is accuracy in the labeling of the specimens ( Alotaibi & Federico, 2017) . The barcodes are made in different shapes and sizes that can help them withstand getting wet and even extreme temperatures.
The inventory management of many hospitals that have adopted the use of barcode technology has improved tremendously. The old ways of inventory management were time-consuming and thus the introduction of the technology is beneficial to the hospitals. The barcodes can trace pieces of equipment and even who used it last and this minimizes the loses made by the hospitals
One major challenge of the use of barcode technology is the affordability. The installation of barcoding technology has proved to be expensive since it requires a lot of modern equipment. Computers as well as the wristbands and barcode readers are expensive and need to also be handled by professionals.
Analysis
The conception of barcode technology saw the world go digital in most of the business activities in organizations and shopping centers. According to Leung et al. (2015) , barcoding technology has impacted the activities of healthcare centers in the United States and across the globe. The main argument of the author surrounds the being of this technology and how it has changed operations in clinical operations all over the world ( Douglas & Larrabee, 2003) . The study of the author is driven by the increased usage of barcoding technology is not only organizations but also in healthcare facilities. He is also driven by the huge role barcoding plays in healthcare, especially in ensuring patient safety and care in hospitals.
The literature indicates that the necessity of barcoding technology in healthcare was due to the need to reduce human error in medical facilities. Healthcare centers are indeed responsible for ensuring that patients are safe and that their lives are saved if possible. It is, therefore, wrong for such a trusted institution to entertain or have high cases of human error due to fatigue, incompetence, or any other reason. Hospitals are the last resort that people run to when they are sick, and patients and their families believe that after medication, they would recover from illness. According to Leung et al. (2015) , barcoding technology, among many other innovations, was brought in place to ensure that patient safety is enhanced and improved at all times.
Strudwick et al. (2018) agrees with Leung et al. (2015) on the role that barcoding plays in minimizing human error in healthcare facilities, which would be otherwise detrimental to patients’ health and safety. The author further investigates how barcoding technology has aided in patient safety and identification. The main argument in his study is that the utilization of barcode technology has streamlined the patient admittance process. Medical facilities, through the usage of barcode technology, can admit patients faster than before as well as the process has become less time-consuming as compared to decades ago.
Strudwick et al. (2018) , through the article, demonstrates the significance of a streamlined patient admittance process. He supports his claim by indicating that medication tracks, care admission, and the identification of patients are a smooth process. As much as the article examines the massive role that barcoding technology plays in healthcare facilities, it fails to look into the negativities that this technology has come with. Therefore, there is a gap in the literature since all pros and cons of the technology were not investigated. The author chose to be narrow about the information and the investigation despite data and information being readily available regarding the technology and its role in patient safety. Just like author Leung et al. (2015) , the author of the article fails to expound on his research and cover all issues including pros, cons, and impact on other operations.
Douglas & Larrabee (2003) expounds on the research of Leung et al. (2015) and Strudwick et al. (2018) on the significance or role of barcoding in ensuring patient safety and care. The author contributes to the role or impact number one of the barcode; patient identification. He argues that most hospitals in the United States and across the world have made it mandatory for patients to wear bracelets while in the hospital. The author looks at the current evidence and confirms that most facilities are incorporating the barcode technology of the wristbands or bracelets that patients wear. The technology would see nurses identify, collect medical information about the patient, and prepare well on how to approach the patient. The article argues that this technology reduces costs and enhances patients’ safety but it does not demonstrate directly how it does that.
Unlike Douglas & Larrabee (2003) , Cummings et al. (2005) indicates that barcode technology goes far much than identifying patients as it helps in medical management. Cummings et al. (2005) agrees with Anest (2013) that barcode assists in medical management where nurses are assisted in following five rights of medical administration. These two authors focus on the roles played by barcoding technology in healthcare and patient safety. Their studies do not examine the risks or shortcoming of the technology as far as healthcare and patient safety is concerned. For instance, they have not investigated how fully implementing technology can be costly or expensive for the facility. They have not examined the extra cost that is passed to the patient. The safety of the patient can also be compromised if data stored in the technology is corrupted by third-party or viruses. The health practitioner might end up administering the wrong medication to the patient and therefore, putting his life in danger.
Synopsis
The above literature has mostly demonstrated the huge role that barcoding technology plays in patient safety as well as the milestones the healthcare sector has taken courtesy of the same. As much as there are some gaps or barriers in the reviewed literature, barcoding technology has enhanced patient safety in various ways. Through the use of bracelets, patients can be identified and their information collected before any other normal clinical procedure. The collection of the information allows practitioners to prepare for the patient and have the right information before diagnosis.
The literature also discusses how technology impacts medical management. Medical management directly affects patient safety as nurses should follow certain procedures when administering medication or treatment. For instance, technology helps practitioners to follow the 5 rights of medication administration. The literature, however, did not investigate the cons or shortcomings that barcoding technology poses in patient safety and healthcare at large. Some of these challenges including the high cost of incorporating the technology in healthcare and improving patient safety ( Seibert et al., 2014 ). Despite this challenge, barcoding technology has enhanced patient safety and impacted hugely the healthcare sector.
References
Alotaibi, Y. K., & Federico, F. (2017). The impact of health information technology on patient safety. Saudi medical journal , 38 (12), 1173.
Anest, R. C. (2013). Teaching patient safety with a functional electronic medication record. Journal of Nursing Education , 52 (5), 303-303.
Cummings, J., Ratko, T., & Matuszewski, K. (2005). Barcoding to enhance patient safety. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Case and Commentary . http://www. psqh. com/sepoct05/barcodingrfid1. html.
Douglas, J., & Larrabee, S. (2003). Bring barcoding to the bedside. Nursing Management , 34 (5), 36-40.
Leung, A. A., Denham, C. R., Gandhi, T. K., Bane, A., Churchill, W. W., Bates, D. W., & Poon, E. G. (2015). A safe practice standard for barcode technology. Journal of patient safety , 11 (2), 89-99.
Kennedy, M. A., & Hussey, P. (2015). Nursing informatics. An Introduction to Nursing Informatics, Fourth Edition (pp. 11-31). Springer-Verlag London Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2999-8 2
Koppel, R., Wetterneck, T., Telles, J. L., & Karsh, B. T. (2008). Workarounds to barcode medication administration systems: their occurrences, causes, and threats to patient safety. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association , 15 (4), 408-423.
Seibert, H. H., Maddox, R. R., Flynn, E. A., & Williams, C. K. (2014). Effect of barcode technology with electronic medication administration record on medication accuracy rates. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy , 71 (3), 209-218.
Strudwick, G., Reisdorfer, E., Warnock, C., Kalia, K., Sulkers, H., Clark, C., & Booth, R. (2018). Factors associated with barcode medication administration technology that contribute to patient safety: an integrative review. Journal of Nursing Care Quality , 33 (1), 79-85.
Truitt, E., Thompson, R., Blazey-Martin, D., Nisai, D., & Salem, D. (2016). Effect of the implementation of barcode technology and an electronic medication administration record on adverse drug events. Hospital pharmacy , 51 (6), 474-483.
Vottero, B. A. (2018). Informatics: An Introduction to Quality and Safety Education for Nurses, Second Edition: Core Competence for Nursing Leadership and Management (pp. 243-276). Springer Publishing Company. https://doi.org/10.1891/9780826123855.0009
