Yes or No to Quick Response Codes Purpose of Quick Response Codes In Healthcare
Chamberlain College of Nursing
NR361: Information Systems in Healthcare
Summer 2013

Title of Paper in Upper and Lower Case (Centered, Not Bold) You are at home alone and start to feel disorientated. You call emergency services 911 when paramedics arrive you aren’t able to tell them any past medical history or current medication you’re taking. How will healthcare workers determine your past medical history or medications? Is there any technology that would assist medical workers answer some of these questions and perhaps save your life? Within the last few years some in the healthcare world are embracing Quick Response (QR) codes. Quick Response codes are black modules arranged in a square pattern. The information that is stored in each Quick Response code can be decoded at a high rate of speed. The information in Quick Response codes can be decoded using any quick response software or scanner. According to Human Service Solutions (2011), “You can think of a QR code as a paper-based hyperlink that connects the physical world with the online world.”
The MGH (2011) study found the following: Thirty-two percent of respondents said they’ve used a QR code, and 70 percent said they plan to use a QR code again or for the first time. For both those that have used one and those that plan to use one, the top motivator in scanning a code is to secure a coupon or discount (53 percent and 87 percent, respectively). The survey also found that an astonishing 72 percent of smartphone users would be likely to recall an ad with a QR code.”
The advantages and disadvantages of Quick Response codes will be discussed throughout this paper. Paragraph one is the introduction to the paper. “Because the introduction is clearly identified by its position in the manuscript, it does not carry a heading labeling it the introduction” (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 27). It should begin with something that will grab the reader’s attention and provide a citation to support your opening sentence. Next, support that opening sentence with discussion or explanation with one sentence, or multiple sentences, which will make up the body of the introductory paragraph. The last sentence of the introduction should highlight areas to be covered in the paper. APA success requires knowledge of the format and skill in concise, clear written communication.
Advantages of Quick Response Codes One of the advantages of using QR Codes is that they can read almost anything. If the device is online the information is readable. Generating and reading QR codes is free for anyone. Some of the information that can be stored in QR codes and read is telephone numbers, view or send emails, download contact information, calendar entries, hyperlinks, and text.
Another advantage is user convenience; the information is made assessable to you regardless of where you are. The codes offer a convenient one step process for directing users to the information. The number of times that the code has been scanned is easily traceable. The ability to track the QR codes usage measures effectively the usefulness of the particular code.
Thirdly, QR Codes are environmentally friendly. According to Sanders, “Not only does it help the environment, the eco-friendliness of the codes means faster production times with newspapers and magazines. With the use of QR codes and technology, the use of paper and ink are virtually obsolete. All in all, QR codes are more eco-friendly because they require less paper products. But they can also save companies money by having to print less, not just save on paper.”
The last advantage is the versatility that QR codes have. These codes are versatile in the sense that they can be used in so many different ways. Some of the ways QR codes are currently being used is in marketing, healthcare, mobile payments, classroom, and sports to