Objectives: This study aims to assess how care is mediated through technology by analyzing the interaction between nurses, patients, and a Bar Coded Medication Administration (BCMA) system. The objective is to explore how patients experience care through medication technology, with the main focus of our observations and interviews on nurses rather than patients.
Methods: A qualitative ethnographic study was conducted in an orthopedic ward of a Dutch general hospital.
Results: After analyses, the following two themes were discerned: (i) the use of bar code medication technology organizes double institutionalization, and (ii) nurses frequently need to work around the BCMA, as the system is not always supportive of patient needs.
Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that BCMA is not merely a neutral tool, but an active component within the nurse-patient relationship, as it influences medication administration and profoundly affects patient participation in the care process.
Keywords: Bar code medication technology; Hospital; Institutional ethnography; Patient; Qualitative research; Technology.