Perspectives of healthcare workers on the novel electronic technology of wearable tags

Background

Time and motion studies involve measuring the productivity of employees by directly observing how long it takes to complete required tasks. The purpose of this measurement is to assess efficiency, effectiveness and
improve systems. This study examined the perspectives of healthcare workers on the novel electronic technology of wearable tags in order to determine the impact of visit length on the cost and quality of providing TB and HIVservices. These wearable tags are attached to lanyards worn around the neck and send out pings using radio frequency at regular intervals, noting when in close
proximity – one meter or less – to other tags. In this way the tags identify the duration of interactions between healthcare workers and patients, movement throughout the clinic, and time spent on administrative or non-client facing tasks. The main aim of the study was to determine if wearable tags can be used in a time and motion study and to overcome limitations of passive observation.