Nurses' Perceptions of Implant Barcode Scanning in Surgical Services

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Medical Device Regulation
• Surgical Workflow Optimization

Background:

• The US Food and Drug Administration's Unique Device Identification (UDI) System Rule mandates unique identifiers for medical devices.
• Hospital systems are evaluating implant barcode scanning to capture UDIs due to policy changes.
• Electronic health records increasingly support UDI integration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors influencing operating room (OR) nurses' acceptance of implant barcode scanning systems.
• To explore OR nurses' views on the value of these systems.
• To pinpoint perceived challenges in implementing barcode scanning systems within ORs.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was distributed to OR nurses.
• Focus groups were conducted with orthopedic OR nurses at a center that recently implemented such a system.
• Analysis focused on acceptance predictors, perceived value, and implementation gaps.

Main Results:

• Key predictors of acceptance included perceived usefulness for patient care, ease of use, and self-perceived usefulness.
• Nurses viewed the system as enhancing accuracy and patient safety.
• Identified implementation gaps involved communication, system completeness, process consistency, and training.

Conclusions:

• Nurse acceptance of implant barcode scanning systems is driven by perceived benefits to patient care and usability.
• The system is perceived to improve accuracy and patient safety.
• Addressing communication, completeness, consistency, and training is crucial for successful implementation and optimization.