Supporting Hospital Nurses During Medication Dispensation with Augmented Reality – A Participatory Approach

Abstract

The nursing profession is becoming increasingly complex: administrative and nursing tasks have to be performed in parallel, under time pressure and in shifts. These stressful working conditions also affect safety-critical processes such as the correct dispensing of medication. As digitization continues, new technologies such as augmented reality (AR) glasses are emerging that offer potential solutions. However, a practical implementation requires a deep understanding of the underlying problem and user needs. The aim of this paper is to first, discover pains and gains in the process of medication dispensation and second, develop a conceptual prototype for AR glasses as a basis for discussion on the applicability in practice. A participatory design process with nursing professionals and experts from technical and organizational fields was established. As result, we present a conceptual prototype, that (A) respects the context of use, (B) guides users while dispensing medication according to prescription, (C) displays useful information about medical preparations, procurement of alternate medicine and dosage variations and (D) uses checklists and error recognition to increase safety. Multidisciplinary feedback workshops indicate an overall positive resonance. We advise paying attention to the spatial and economic situation while using AR as a support tool providing flexibility for users.