Introduction
With the integration of technology in healthcare, there are issues that come with these technologies. Healthcare technologies have helped enhance the operations of healthcare. There are now electronic health records which have widely been used. Many healthcare organizations have integrated information technologies into their systems. As with any new technology, there are issues that come with them. These are the security challenges that are associated with technology. Data integrity and privacy are a major concern in healthcare because of the patient data which are supposed to be private. This paper will assess the advantages and disadvantages that are associated with QR codes, which is a healthcare technology.
QR codes have some advantages and disadvantages. Marin County emergency workers will have the advantage of a technology which will read anything that is online. With the smart phones having cameras, it is now possible to make use of these features to read documents. They can now make use of the features of smart phones to be able to read online documents. What they need to have is to have a QR reader installed on their phones. This will eradicate the need to have new gadgets that are used for reading online links. This makes communication and installation easier than having technology which requires equipment to be installed afresh.
Another advantage with this technology is that the scanners do not need to be arranged in any position in order to read the code. Unlike he barcode readers, this technology makes it easy to read code. QR codes have some form of intelligence that enables readers to scan the information in any manner and in any angle they deem fit. They are easy to make and does not require many forms of equipment in order to have information retrieval.
Another advantage of QR codes is that it can be used in any field. This makes compatibility of this technology with other sectors. This is relevant in that it is possible to make use of education systems to healthcare in the county. This will reduce the need to install new systems. The fact that the technology can be shared between the various sectors makes it setup easy as the same engineers and the experts of this technology can be shared also (Siderits et l., 2011).
QR codes can be created by anyone. Unlike barcodes where codes were specially created, The QR codes are simple to create. This reduces the process of developing the whole system. It is important to understand the need to have simple systems used in healthcare. This is because most healthcare professionals are not experts in information technology (Farrow, Young, & Rains, 2012).
Another advantage of this technology is that with its ability to share inks, it does not bind the users in one location and one use. This makes communication between the emergency systems in the county faster and reliable. This is because information is shared and sent from one location to another one with the links. As users are able to access information from the internet, which have already been synchronized, they are able to share and act upon his information faster.
One disadvantage that comes with this technology is that there will be a need to have training on how this technology works. For the information to be retrieved and integrated and shared online there is a need to have education done for the users of this technology. This will take time and will delay the whole process (May, Stansfield, & Souder, 2013).
Another disadvantage is that with the various smart phones which are found in the market, the systems might need some configurations in order to be able to work on the different smart phones in the market. There is a need to have standardization so that smart phones can integrate this technology in a uniform manner. There is a need to have universal scanner technologies installed in smart phones.
There is an important issue of security which comes with his technology. Since healthcare data is of paramount importance, it is important, security and data integrity is important. There is sharing of information from several people. If there is a security lapse in the entire process, then there is easy access of information from unauthorized people. Unauthorized users can be able to access the links which have been stored in a common location. There is a need to have secure systems that will enable security of the links and the sending process to be secure (Kubben, 2011).
Recommendation
With the advantages of this system, I would recommend that users adopt this system. This is because there are many advantages than disadvantages. With the security of patient data in place, I would recommend that the network system of the various organizations be secured. The patient data should be secured through encryption. His ill improve data security and privacy.
Conclusion
Technology is an important aspect of the healthcare sector. This is because it is because there is increased efficiencies that have been seen this sector. QR codes are proving to be effective in sharing important information that can be used in emergency cases. This technology should be adopted in Marin County.
References
Siderits, R., Yates, S., Rodriguez, A., Lee, T., Rimmer, C., & Roche, M. (2011). Embedding QR codes in tumor board presentations, enhancing educational content for oncology information management. Journal of registry management, 38(4), 209.
May, W., Stansfield, R. B., & Souder, D. (2013). Empathy Predicting Ratings By Standardized Patients On The Patient-Physician Interaction From Self-Reported Empathy By Medical Students. Innovations in Medical Education, 92.
Kubben, P. L. (2011). QR codes in neurosurgery. Surgical neurology international, 2.
Farrow, P., Young, F., & Rains, C. (2012, April). Use of smart technology to reduce the environmental impact of poster presentations. In CURRENT MEDICAL RESEARCH AND OPINION (Vol. 28, pp. S19-S19). TELEPHONE HOUSE, 69-77 PAUL STREET, LONDON EC2A 4LQ, ENGLAND: INFORMA HEALTHCARE.
