Use of QR and EAN-13 codes by older patients taking multiple medications for a safer use of medication.
BACKGROUND
Older persons following a prolonged complex drug regimen often make mistakes when taking their medication. Currently, the widespread use of tablets and smartphones has encouraged the development of applications to support self-management of medication.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to design, develop and assess an app that transforms medication-associated ean-13 (barcodes) and Quick Response codes (QR) into verbal instructions, to enable safer use of medication by the elderly patients taking multiple medications.


METHODS
Meetings were held in which participated a total of 61 patients.


RESULTS
The results showed that patients appreciated the application and found it useful for safer use of medicines.


CONCLUSIONS
The study results support the use of such technology to increase patient safety taking multiple medications safety.
Alicante-Sant Joan Health District, Consellería Sanitat, Alicante, Spain; Health Psychology Department, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Spain; RETIC REDISSEC, Spain.
José Joaquín
JJ
Mira
Health Psychology Department, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Spain. Electronic address: mguilabert@umh.es.
Mercedes
M
Guilabert
Health Psychology Department, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Spain.
Irene
I
Carrillo
Industrial Systems Engineering Department, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Spain.
César
C
Fernández
Industrial Systems Engineering Department, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Spain.
Ma Asunción
MA
Vicente
Medicine Department, Universidad Miguel Hernandez, Alicante, Spain.
Domingo
D
Orozco-Beltrán
Medicine Department, Universidad Miguel Hernandez, Alicante, Spain.
Vicente F
VF
Gil-Guillen
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval; D008297:Male; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D063731:Mobile Applications; D061214:Patient Safety; D012985:Software Design; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014584:User-Computer Interface
Automatic data processing; Cell phone; Information storage and retrieval/methods; Patient safety; Software design