I-TRAC Plus Bar Code System Endorsement
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
Sentinel Event Alert
Issue Ten - August 30, 1999
Blood Transfusion Errors: Preventing Future Occurrences
Experts' Recommendations
Experts as well as Joint Commission standards emphasize that health care organizations should have unique patient identifier processes in place. This would be a way to take human fallibility out of the equation, says Kathleen Sazama, M.D., J.D., a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at MCP Hahnemann University in Philadelphia.
Sazama says organizations should use a hand-held bar code reader to read both bar coded wristbands on every patient and a bar code identifier on the tag of the components. If the bar code reader fails to confirm the identity between the wristband and the tag, then the health care worker cannot proceed with the transfusion.
James B. Battles, Ph.D., a professor of medical education for the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, says bar coding can help but he believes there still is not a good patient identification system in place. He says a major effort needs to be made to study the problem and find the best method.
wwwb.jcaho.org
Best O'Luck!
Tom
P.S. I've bookmarked your website. Good work! |
