When your child fractures a bone and gets a cast, the experience can be very overwhelming for both the child and parent. It might be hard to focus and remember the instructions given at the doctor’s office. But what if you could scan your cast with your phone at home to get up to speed with everything that was said?
A new peer-reviewed study done by orthopedic surgeons at Children’s Hospital of Orange County, California found that a familiar technology, QR codes, short for quick response, may be a useful tool in helping children who have received casts and their families better manage their health. The study showed the majority of the people found scanning the QR code to get information kept them from calling their doctor’s office to ask questions or book an appointment…
Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Alton Barron, who was not involved in the study, agreed: “I would say there’s a lot of applications for it. I think it’s a very useful tool. I just think we don’t want to further technologically impair the doctor and patient relationship because when someone is seeking information, they’re often seeking contact with their doctor or health care provider.”
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, with resources and staffing especially overworked, these QR codes might even minimize the number of unnecessary visit to the emergency room.
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