Residency programs using QR codes on cell phones for "tracking department operations"?

[notinkansas]

I'm about to start a prev med residency. In the barrage of emails with forms, etc to fill out is instructions for QR code scanning.

The GME office uses it for "a tracking system for department operations"

The instructions are to download a QR code scanner onto your phone, then scan a code provided in the packet of info and "complete the requested info"

I hear they plan to issue us cell phones, so I wouldn't have a problem with that- it's their property.

But if they want me to do this with my cell phone? That's a different story.

Has anybody else encountered this? Is this common these days?

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[Raryn]

Many jobs more or less require you to use your cell phone as part of your work. In an ideal world, they'd subsidize the cost of the phone (or get you a second one), but that doesn't always happen.

For example, at one of the hospitals I rotate, we don't carry pagers. Instead, we have a paging app on our phones. That hospital doesn't pay me jack diddly to help cover the verizon bill.

 

[AdmiralChz]

It's exceedingly common. It's a given these days that the vast majority of people, especially younger residents, have smart phones with apps. Some programs might throw you a bone and give you some "technology fund" dollars that you could use on a newer model or a tablet. My program offers this some years, and sometimes doesn't. If they offer it I'd take them up on the offer. If not, bummer, almost every hospital (except the VA, weird) has wifi so you won't have to eat up your data.

 

[wholeheartedly]

Yeah , my former institution wanted everyone to download an app. that would give them access to settings and apps on your phone so they could ensure privacy and security. But it gave them way broader access than just what they said they'd use it for. "We will only use the access for x, y, z.".

sorry, not comfortable with some random employee having that much access to my phone or ipad. That was met with pretty strong opposition.


I don't think that degree of tracking is typical, but requiring use of your personal phone without help paying for it is.

 

[PTPoeny]

We use qr codes to sign into required gme lectures (hipaa, patient safety, that sort of stuff). Is that what they mean?

I refuse to give my workplace all the access they want for security stuff so I do not have my work email or emr app on my phone. But using a qr reader to sign into lectures that I needed to sign into one way or another seemed pretty benign. What exactly is your gme department tracking?

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