Smartphones: The next generation medication administration tool

Abstract

To Error is Human report brought to the healthcare domain the concept of Safety Management as a medical accident measure. The introduction of ICT into healthcare information systems should secure 'Patient Safety'. The development of BCMA (barcode medication administration) in the last decade has contributed to a reduction in medical errors. However, BCMA still has some problems that can lead to medical accidents. The major problems with BCMA are poorly designed user interfaces and limited computing resources. As smartphone performance equals or exceeds former high-end workstations, smartphone use will resolve BCMA issues. In this paper, we discuss the institutional and technological backgrounds of healthcare, and present a number of issues to be resolved before the introduction of smartphones in healthcare.