Misidentification of a patient can lead to serious errors. Proper use of identification bands can reduce these errors.
Potential problems that occur if a patient is misidentified:
(1) transfused an incompatible unit of blood
(2) receive an inappropriate medication
(3) undergo unnecessary surgery
(4) undergo an action based on results of a specimen collected from someone other than the patient
The risk of identification band error is associated with:
(1) emergency situations when a band may be cut away to access the site
(2) inexperienced healthcare workers
(3) outpatient procedures with a interval of several days between band placement and admission
(4) having patients with similar names in the same room
(5) comatose or unconscious patient unable to confirm identify
(6) failure to take identification band problems seriously
Organizational issues:
(1) The healthcare organization must have policies in place for handling all aspects of identification bands.
(2) If an identification band is removed, then a process to positively identify the patient is initiated.
(3) The identification band should be placed when a person arrives at a healthcare facility following positive identification.
(4) Every identification band problem should be documented, analyzed and reported to risk management.
(5) Corrective action is taken to prevent recurrences.
(6) All workers are educated into the problems associated with patient misidentification.
Healthcare worker issues:
(1) Insist that no one remove an identification band unless absolutely necessary
(2) Emphasize routine checking of identification so that it becomes second nature.
(3) No work should be done on the patient until identification band issues are resolved.
Patient issues:
(1) Insist that the patient not remove an identification band.
(2) In some situations the ankle can be used as an alternative site for band placement.
