Sustainable Patient Education in Urology: Evaluating Quick Response (QR) Code-Based Information Delivery

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Health Informatics
• Digital Health

Background:

• Effective patient communication is crucial for informed consent and management planning in clinical appointments.
• The British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) offers validated patient information leaflets (PILs) to support this communication.
• Environmental concerns and cost-effectiveness are driving the exploration of digital dissemination methods for health information.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the practicality and patient satisfaction of using Quick Response (QR) codes for disseminating BAUS PILs.
• To assess the feasibility of QR code adoption among a patient cohort.
• To explore the potential of QR codes as a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to paper-based information.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, two-phase quality improvement study was conducted.
• Phase 1 focused on the feasibility of QR code use for PIL dissemination in various clinics.
• Phase 2 assessed patient satisfaction with QR codes after their implementation in previous consultations.

Main Results:

• In Phase 1 (n=77), 87% of patients owned smartphones, 74% knew QR codes, and 64% were willing to use them for PILs.
• In Phase 2 (n=50), 100% found QR codes easy and convenient, and 80% preferred them over paper PILs.
• Patients demonstrated a willingness to adopt QR codes, providing positive feedback on their usability.

Conclusions:

• QR code PILs show growing acceptance, particularly among smartphone users, presenting a sustainable and economical alternative.
• While printed materials should remain available, QR codes support environmental goals, reduce costs, and maintain patient privacy.
• Further research with larger sample sizes and longer study periods is warranted to confirm these findings, but initial results are promising for digital health information delivery.