New evidence and gap map shows where research on barcode scanning in healthcare is strongest, and where gaps remain

A new Evidence and Gap Map (EGM) has been published, bringing together 229 studies from 2016 to 2026 to show where the evidence for barcode scanning in healthcare is strong, and where more research is needed.

Commissioned by NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care, and developed by the Centre for Evidence and Implementation Science at the University of Birmingham, working with Keele University, as part of the West Midlands Evidence Synthesis Group, the EGM reviews global research on barcode scanning technologies, across different Scan4Safety use cases such as medicines management, and blood and specimen management.

An EGM is a research tool that brings together published studies on a topic and shows, visually, where evidence is strong and where it is lacking. It also makes it easy to sort research into themes and provides links to published research papers on barcode scanning in healthcare.

The EGM doesn’t evaluate whether a technology works. Instead, it shows where evidence already exists and where important gaps remain, helping researchers, policymakers and healthcare organisations understand where to focus future effort.

Find out more about what the map shows, including where the evidence is strongest and where gaps remain, on our dedicated Evidence and Gap Map page.

You can also find out more on the West Midlands Evidence Synthesis Group webpage.