Pictographs in electronic health records aim to stop wrong-patient errors in newborn ICUs
NCT ID NCT03960099
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether showing a simple pictograph (a picture symbol like a rainbow or lion) in the electronic health record helps doctors and nurses avoid placing orders for the wrong baby in the NICU. Over 6,000 newborns and their clinicians at three hospitals will be randomly assigned to see the pictograph or not. The goal is to reduce wrong-patient order errors, which can be dangerous for fragile newborns.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- pictographs (simple picture symbols) displayed in the electronic health record
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could provide a simple, low-cost way to prevent dangerous medical mix-ups in newborn intensive care units.
- What could go wrong
- This is a behavioral intervention, not a drug or device, so its effect may be modest. The trial is still recruiting, and results may not apply to all hospitals or patient groups.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Brigham and Women's Hospital
COMPLETEDBoston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
-
Johns Hopkins Medicine
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGBaltimore, Maryland, 21287, United States
-
Montefiore Medical Center
ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITINGThe Bronx, New York, 10461, United States
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New York-Presbyterian Hospital
RECRUITINGNew York, New York, 10032, United States
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