A Mobile Health Application for Operating Room Nurses: Optimizing Workflows with Surgical Checklists and Preference...

Operating rooms (ORs) are high-risk environments where patient safety and efficiency depend on accurate preparation. Traditional paper-based preference cards and reliance on operative nurses' memory often result in workflow inefficiencies and increased cognitive stress. This study aims to design, develop, and evaluate a mobile health (mHealth) application that digitizes surgical checklists and surgeon preference cards to optimize OR preparation. A user-centered design approach was employed. Initial requirements were gathered through a focus group with six experienced OR nurses. Based on these insights, a web-based prototype was developed. Its usability and clinical applicability were evaluated by a panel of expert users through a structured questionnaire. The evaluation indicated high user acceptance. Participants reported that the application significantly reduced cognitive load, streamlined the preparation of surgical instruments and consumables, and served as a valuable educational tool for novice nurses. Digitizing OR workflows through targeted, user-informed mHealth applications can enhance team coordination, reduce preparation time, and improve patient safety.