Proper patient identification is a key step in any healthcare procedure.
Nowhere is patient identification more critical than in specimen collection, where errors can result in misdiagnosis, inappropriate treatment, and – in worst case scenarios – life-threatening consequences.
Luckily, it’s simple to ensure correct identification of a patient sample during specimen collection.
In this article, we’ll explore how proper patient identification is made in specimen collection, and the best practices that can be used to ensure this.
Why is correct identification of a patient sample important?
Patient samples collected for analysis are the first step in a series of decisions leading to diagnosis and potentially life-saving treatment options.
Here are some of the reasons why correctly identifying these samples are vital to a patients’ future wellbeing.
Enhanced patient safety
Proper sample identification ensures that patients receive the correct diagnosis and treatment based on their test results.
Accurate results significantly reduce the risk of medical errors and adverse events.
By correctly identifying samples, healthcare providers can deliver the right care for every patient’s unique needs.
Improved quality of care
Correct sample identification helps healthcare providers make informed decisions about treatment plans, medication, and any necessary follow-up care.
Accurate laboratory data also helps to increase patient satisfaction and improve their health outcomes.
Efficient resource utilisation
When samples are correctly identified, healthcare facilities can optimise their resources by not having to trace, fix potential errors, or send samples for repeat testing.
This saves patients and healthcare staff valuable time, especially in acute and emergency cases.
Medical professionals can then focus on providing care rather than troubleshooting errors, leading to smoother operations and reduced healthcare costs.
How do you ensure proper patient sample identification?
Since proper patient sample identification is such an important part of every healthcare chain, ensuring proper sample identification involves using established multi-faceted protocols.
But how is proper patient identification made in specimen collection?
Implement a robust identification method
Use a combination of at least two patient identifiers, such as full name with date of birth or medical record number, before you collect a sample.
Verify this information using methods such as checking patients’ wristbands and medical records or asking open-ended questions like; ‘What is your name?’, rather than leading questions like ‘Are you Mr. Smith?’
This can also help prevent errors caused by patients absent-mindedly agreeing.
Utilise technology for accuracy
With technological advancements, healthcare organisations have successfully integrated systems such as the Sample360 technology with electronic health records (EHR).
The risk of manual entry errors is significantly reduced by using barcode scanning systems for patient wristbands and specimen labels.
This helps staff follow proper identification procedures while automatically logging each step of the process for improved traceability.
Consequences of improper identification
Since we’ve talked about how is proper patient identification made in specimen collection, it’s important to highlight the potential consequences of improper identification.
There have been documented cases of mislabelled biopsy results leading to false cancer diagnosis and subjecting a healthy patient to unnecessary chemotherapy.
Or blood transfusion errors due to misidentification causing severe reactions, even death.
Besides immediate health risks, identification errors also result in extended hospital stays, increased healthcare costs, and loss of patient trust.
Severe legal and financial repercussions also await any organisation involved in such errors, including lawsuits and regulatory penalties.
While simple, the ripple effects of identification error can have far-reaching impacts on patients, healthcare providers, and the broader healthcare system.
Proper patient identification in specimen collection is a critical component of safe and high-quality healthcare.
By using streamlined identification methods with technology like Sample360, healthcare organisations can significantly reduce errors and improve patient outcomes.
Don’t fall victim to the devastating consequences of patient misidentification
If you’re interested in learning more about how to implement or improve patient identification protocols in your organisation, reach out.
Our team of experts is ready to help and answer your questions.
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