Patient SafetyNCT07449533
Smartphone Use in Healthcare Settings Among Nurses
An observational study of Patient Safety and Clinical Communication, run by Alexandria University at 1 site in Egypt.
Trial 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. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Patient Safety, Clinical Communication, Nursing Care
- What is being tested?
- Assessment of Personal Communication Device Usage Patterns.
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- How many people
- 368 participants
- Where
- 1 siteEgypt
- Study dates
- 1 Dec 2025to 26 Feb 2026
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: The study population consists of nurses who are actively providing direct in-patient care in clinical settings. This includes nurses from various departments such as medical-surgical units, intensive care units, and specialized wards. These professionals are primarily those who utilize personal communication devices (PCDs) during their shifts and are capable of reporting their usage patterns and clinical incidents related to patient safety.
Who may be able to join
- 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.
Who cannot join
- Nurses on leave or those who declined to participate
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Smartphone Use in Healthcare Settings: Nurses' Messages for Instant Action to Promote Patient Safety; A Cross-sectional Survey With Qualitative Open-ended Questions
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.
Read the 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.
- Being tested
- Assessment of Personal Communication Device Usage Patterns.
- Keywords
- Smartphone Use, Instant Messaging, Nursing Communication, Patient Safety, Instant Action, Healthcare Technology, Interprofessional Communication
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Assessment of Personal Communication Device Usage Patterns.Behavioural
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
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Participating Nurses | This arm includes staff nurses to assess their patterns of personal communication device use including frequency, duration, and types of applications while simultaneously evaluating the subsequent impact of these devices on in-patient care. Through a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach, the study examines how these usage patterns influence clinical workflows, nurses' responsiveness, and overall patient safety, focusing on identifying both the professional benefits and potential risks associated with the use of personal devices in clinical settings. Receives: Behavioral: Assessment of Personal Communication Device Usage Patterns. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Patterns of Personal Communication Device usage.
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.
Measured: October 2025 and February 2026
Secondary outcomes (2)
Impact of Personal Communication Device Use on In-patient Care Indicators
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.
Measured: October 2025 and February 2026
Nurses' Perceptions and Reported Clinical Incidents.
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.
Measured: October 2025 and February 2026
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted4 Mar 2026
- Study start1 Dec 2025
- Primary completion1 Jan 2026
- Study completion26 Feb 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Patient SafetyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Alexandria UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Retrospective
- Enrolment
- 368 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Alexandria University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Mohamed Fakhry Ahmed Salem, Alexandria University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07449533
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- AU-20-10-432
- Status last verified
- Feb 2026
- First submitted
- 21 Feb 2026
- Last updated
- 22 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Individual participant data will not be shared to protect the privacy and confidentiality of the participating nurses
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 22 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Smartphone Use in Healthcare Settings: Nurses' Messages for Instant Action to Promote Patient Safety; A Cross-sectional Survey With Qualitative Open-ended Questions
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07449533
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- AU-20-10-432
- Keywords
- Smartphone Use, Instant Messaging, Nursing Communication, Patient Safety, Instant Action, Healthcare Technology, Interprofessional Communication
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 368 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Alexandria UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Jan 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 26 Feb 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 4 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
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.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Retrospective
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Participating Nurses | – | Behavioral: Assessment of Personal Communication Device Usage Patterns.This arm includes staff nurses to assess their patterns of personal communication device use including frequency, duration, and types of applications while simultaneously evaluating the subsequent impact of these devices on in-patient care. Through a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach, the study examines how these usage patterns influence clinical workflows, nurses' responsiveness, and overall patient safety, focusing on identifying both the professional benefits and potential risks associated with the use of personal devices in clinical settings. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- The study population consists of nurses who are actively providing direct in-patient care in clinical settings. This includes nurses from various departments such as medical-surgical units, intensive care units, and specialized wards. These professionals are primarily those who utilize personal communication devices (PCDs) during their shifts and are capable of reporting their usage patterns and clinical incidents related to patient safety.
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- 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.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Nurses on leave or those who declined to participate
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment 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 | Behavioural | Participating Nurses |
Primary outcome
Patterns of Personal Communication Device usage.
Time frame: 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.
2 secondary outcomes
Impact of Personal Communication Device Use on In-patient Care Indicators
Time frame: October 2025 and February 2026
Nurses' Perceptions and Reported Clinical Incidents.
Time frame: October 2025 and February 2026
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 22 Apr 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. Individual participant data will not be shared to protect the privacy and confidentiality of the participating nurses
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Patient Safety and Clinical Communication, run by Alexandria University at 1 site in Egypt.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 22 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Egypt. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Patterns of Personal Communication Device usage. (time frame: October 2025 and February 2026). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 22 Apr 2026.