The Health Roundtable

Deploying complex information via a QR Code

Presenter: Paul McNamara FACMHN

Innovation Poster Session HRT1215 – Innovation Awards Sydney, 11th - 12th October 2012

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KEY PROBLEM

  How do you get complex information into the hands of your target group(s)?

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AIMS OF THIS INNOVATION

  Support clinicians.   Support perinatal women (mostly ‘digital natives’).   Avoid/minimise referral bottlenecks.   National Perinatal Depression Initiative (NPDI) KPIs:

  Pathways to care   Community awareness   Capacity-building

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BASELINE DATA

  Original map of referral pathway to local agencies   The map was on paper

  The paper was in my pocket or on my desk

  Poor access for colleagues & clients

  Visits to pocket, n = 0   Visits to desk, n = 0

Conclusion: it’s not very helpful to

have a map if nobody can see it.

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KEY CHANGES IMPLEMENTED

  Simplified look of referral pathway; same(-ish) content

  Put it online www.health.qld.gov.au/cairns_hinterland/html/pmh_referral_pathway.asp

www.health.qld.gov.au/cairns_hinterland/html/pmh_resources.asp

  Added a QR Code

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KEY CHANGES IMPLEMENTED

  Ethical Guerrilla Marketing.   Posters with QR Code everywhere.   Show colleagues (and some clients) how it works.

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OUTCOMES SO FAR

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Jan-12 Feb-12 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Jul-12

PMH Homepage (QR Code supported) PMH Resource Page (no QR Code)

NB: It’s not all about QR Codes: put the words ‘perinatal’ and ‘cairns’ in a search engine

Page Views 01/01/12 - 31/07/12

PMH Homepage = 750

PMH Resource page = 321

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LESSONS LEARNT

  QR Codes allow complex information to be “taken home” in a simple, discrete manner.

  QR Codes may drive some website traffic, but they’re not a “Google killer” (search engine keywords count!)   QR Codes just one part of a broader strategy.

  Pregnant women & new Mums are better prepared for using information technology than many of my colleagues.

  QR Codes only impart information: there’s nothing to fear.   QR Codes are very easily adapted to other settings & uses,

eg: website, text, phone number, email address, geolocation.   QR Codes are embarrassingly easy to create and use.   Cost of creating/using QR Codes = a little bit of time.

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TRY IT FOR YOURSELF NOW

1.  Grab your smartphone. 2.  Go to the appstore and

search “QR Reader”. 3.  Select a free version and

download it. 4.  Open the app. 5.  Using the app, line-up this

QR code in the middle of scanning screen.

6.  Be amazed. 7.  Ponder and discuss: “How

could my workplace use this technology?”