The Health Roundtable

Deploying complex information via a QR Code Presenter: Paul McNamara FACMHN

Hospital Cairns

Innovation Poster SessionHRT1213 – Mental HealthAugust 20-21 2012

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KEY PROBLEM

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

Version One

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AIM OF THIS INNOVATION Support clinicians to quickly and easily identify the

most appropriate agency when considering referral. Support perinatal women (mostly ‘digital natives’:

99% have mobile phones, many [most?] have smartphones) to independently access info re self-care and/or self-referral.

Avoid/minimise referral bottlenecks – deploy information as widely as possible.

These aims in keeping with 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 onlinewww.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 CodeVersion Two

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KEY CHANGES IMPLEMENTED Add the QR Code to related materials (let’s call

it “ethical guerrilla marketing” or “acting local when thinking global”)

Posters with QR Code all over the place: lifts, waiting rooms, consult rooms, etc

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 n = 750 PMH Resource page n = 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. However, the way information is used yields unexpected results (eg: is your organisation prepared for an email re suicidal ideation?).

QR Codes could be easily adapted to other settings & uses, eg: website, phone number, email address.

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