Clinical Communication, Medical Errors, Mobile Applications, Nursing Care, Patient Safety
Conditions
Keywords
Smartphone Use, Instant Messaging, Nursing Communication, Patient Safety, Instant Action, Healthcare Technology, Interprofessional Communication
Brief summary
This study assessed patterns of smartphone use among nurses and evaluated its impact on clinical performance and patient safety in healthcare settings in Egypt, using a convergent mixed-methods design. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between October 2025 and February 2026 across diverse clinical settings at Alexandria University Hospitals, including critical and emergency care, medical-surgical wards, operating theaters, outpatient clinics, home care services, and psychiatric support units. Of 900 nurses invited, 368 completed the online questionnaire via Google Forms (response rate: 40.9%). Quantitative data assessed nurses' patterns of smartphone use and its impact on patient care using an adapted validated scale. Qualitative data were collected through two open-ended narrative questions exploring smartphone-related clinical incidents and recommendations for safe use. A total of 105 clinical incidents attributed to smartphone distraction were identified and categorized into four themes, while 176 respondents provided actionable recommendations categorized into five strategic pillars for safe clinical integration.
Detailed description
This study employs a prospective observational design to investigate the integration of smartphone technology in nursing workflows and its direct implications for patient safety. As healthcare environments become increasingly fast-paced, the reliance on instant messaging (e.g., WhatsApp, specialized hospital apps) for clinical communication has grown. The research focuses on several key dimensions: Communication Efficiency: Assessing how instant messages facilitate rapid clinical decision-making and "instant action" compared to traditional communication methods. * An online self-administered questionnaire will be used for the quantitative part; it will be shared with participants through their personal WhatsApp number after meeting them and getting their approval to participate in the study. * Semi-structured interviews will be used to collect data for the qualitative part; interviews will be conducted in the Arabic language, either face-to-face or online through the MS Teams platform (synchronous/asynchronous) mode for easy contact with participants Patient Safety Outcomes: Monitoring the reporting of critical lab values, medication clarifications, and urgent patient status changes through digital messages. Workflow Integration: Identifying how nurses prioritize urgent clinical messages amidst their daily responsibilities. Data collection involves a mixed-methods approach, including the analysis of communication patterns and clinical outcome indicators. The study aims to provide evidence-based insights into how smartphone use can be standardized to minimize risks and maximize the speed of life-saving interventions in hospital settings.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALAssessment of Personal Communication Device Usage Patterns.
Participants will complete surveys and participate in interviews to assess their patterns of using personal communication devices during work hours. The intervention focuses on identifying frequency, duration, and clinical vs. personal use, as well as evaluating the perceived and actual impact of these behaviors on in-patient care quality and patient safety incidents. 368 nurses from Govermental Hospitals across medical-surgical, critical care, emergency, operating theater, outpatient, home care, and psychiatric settings
Sponsors
Alexandria University
Study design
Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
RETROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Device Usage: Must actively use a personal communication device (smartphone or tablet) during working hours for either personal or professional purposes. Work Setting: Must be assigned to in-patient care units where direct patient monitoring and interaction occur.
Exclusion criteria
* Nurses on leave or those who declined to participate
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Patterns of Personal Communication Device usage. | October 2025 and February 2026 | Evaluation of how frequently and for what duration nurses use their personal devices for both professional and personal purposes during shift hours, measured via a structured survey. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Impact of Personal Communication Device Use on In-patient Care Indicators | October 2025 and February 2026 | Assessment of the correlation between device usage patterns and clinical care quality, such as nurses' responsiveness to patient needs and the frequency of reported near-misses or clinical errors related to distraction. |
| Nurses' Perceptions and Reported Clinical Incidents. | October 2025 and February 2026 | Qualitative analysis of themes derived from nurses' descriptions of specific incidents and their subjective views on how smartphone messaging facilitates "instant action" or impacts patient safety. |
Countries
Egypt
Outcome results
None listed