QR Codes in hospital and healthcare industry marketing can prove extremely beneficial for both patients and healthcare providers, in terms of communicating and providing treatment. 

Smartphones have improved convenience and speed, especially after the advent of tech-enabled services, such as online doctor appointment apps, patient management platforms, EHR, AI-based gadgets, and so on. 

QR Codes technology, although, has been around for over 20 years now in the form of 2-D barcodes, the concept is relatively new in the healthcare industry. It is not because the healthcare industry is not advancing in treatment and technology, but it is because smartphones have become mainstream in healthcare only recently. 

Why healthcare providers should consider using QR Codes

A QR Code in healthcare could be an educational step in empowering patients. If readers are interested in the subject matter, they will most likely scan the code. Patients come to you or seek your help because they want a solution. In short, they are the ‘Interested’ group. 

So, QR Codes become the cost-effective, simplified, and creative approach to entice a group, who are already interested in you, to use your services. QR Codes give you an opportunity to make a real change in communicating with patients. The 3-dimensional QR Codes can store a lot of content in the small black and white boxes, right from medicine/illness information to links to emergency contact details of the hospital. Since QR Codes are actively trackable, it can also help doctors to keep a tab on their patients’ whereabouts. Furthermore, it reduces patient wait-time, boost facility management, and improves treatment. The possibilities with QR Codes in healthcare communication are endless.

For instance, 

• A patient scans a code to acquire information on the reason for his diagnosis appointment and comes prepared.
• A patient scans the code printed on the paper or brochure to book an online appointment with the doctor. And the healthcare provider manages the number of patients visiting him/her based on the number of scans. 

• A healthcare provider posts code with information on seasonal infections, such as the influenza epidemic in the rainy season, sunstroke in summer, and winter itch treatments in winter. 
• Parents and teens scan the code printed on the equipment in an examination room to learn about their purposes.
• A mother scans a code printed on the prescription chart for quick information on baby weight/ feeding instruction, and so on.

• Patients scan the code printed on weight machines to learn about obesity, BMI, BMR, and BP. 

How does QR Codes Work

Since people are constantly on their digital devices, checking emails, chatting, texting, watching Netflix, gaming, and catching up with the latest news, healthcare providers should take advantage of the attention patients pay to their phones and convert it into a communication opportunity. 

Individual healthcare providers, hospitals, diagnostic centers, physicians, and non-clinical professionals can use QR Codes to communicate with patients through the following:

• Newspaper, direct mails, magazines
• Brochures, pamphlet, flyers, newsletters

• Billboards, display signs, posters
• Business cards, email, name tags, prescription slip

• In community events, such as  banners, health fair, conferences
• Journals and healthcare articles
• Test report documents 

QR Codes can be used in communicating with patients in several ways, such as connect them with the hospital website, link them with a blog or YouTube video about a particular illness or medication, and even help them book online appointments. Healthcare providers can use QR Codes for treating patients, managing their visits, engaging with them, as well as educating them. 

Things hospitals and healthcare providers should consider

Before you decide to incorporate QR codes in hospital and healthcare related materials, here are a few things you should consider to make the process more effective:

• QR Code for healthcare is emerging. So whatever you do will be an open territory for new inventive ideas. Choose a reliable code generator to make this possible.
• It is direct and immediate in healthcare. So, your goal shouldn’t be selling services but offering better treatment and communication.

• Before you generate the code, consider the demographics. Your message should reach the right people with smartphones.
• QR Code provides immediate and huge responses. Be prepared to manage them efficiently.
• Customize your QR Codes by adding colors, hospital logo, etc. to make it engaging.
• Begin the QR Code journey by providing the most simple, yet needed solution, such as book appointment online using QR code.
• Mail Chimp QR Codes come with different functionalities, such as real-time tracking, analytic dashboard, application creation, reading codes, and online services.

All you have to do now is choose the right QR code generator, generate a customized QR Code, download it in HD Quality, test it to ensure efficiency, and have it available for your printed materials, such as posters, documents, and inside signs. Inform patients about its purpose with a suitable call-to-action placed next to the code. Once the patient scans the code, they can bookmark/download the redirected URL or content for future reference.