Usability of Light-Linking Technology for Infusion Line Identification: A Simulation Study With ICU Nurses

Critical care nurses are faced with increasing task loads due to increasing patient complexity. In addition to this complexity, most critical care patients have a maze of infusion and monitoring lines that must be navigated when administering medications. Task load is escalated when a nurse must identify an injection port and administer a medication rapidly. This study tested a commercially available light-linking infusion line identification device. Researchers compared standard labeling practices to the light-linking technology on time to injection, error rate, usability, and task load. Forty-seven intensive care nurses completed 188 critical care simulations using a randomized cross-over design. Simulations were carried out in both daylight and low-light conditions. The light-linking technology reduced overall time to injection compared to standard labeling practices and demonstrated a significant decrease in time to injection in low-light settings, greater perceived usability, and lower perceived task load. Injection error rate could not be adequately assessed, but 6 of 8 errors were committed in low-light conditions.