Positive Patient Identification (PPID)
The “Five Rights of Medication Administration” lists the following when providing care:
1. Right Patient 2. Right Medication
3. Right Dose 4. Right Route 5. Right Time
By using the right technology, HealthDynamix solutions can ensure improvements in adherence to these “rights” and greatly reduce the number of work-arounds that occur when current systems fail to produce consistent results. Numerous death or injury incidents place patient safety and improvements in PPID among the top initiatives for the 2010 national patient safety goals.
Considerations for PPID Solutions: By analyzing situations that break down PPID integrity, we learn how to improve the quality of solutions. Patient identification methods such as wristband and/or ID bracelets present a challenging environment for consistent delivery in the integrity of reading data. A patient’s position/access to read data, solvents or fluids that may come in contact with the patient, and quality of the ID images all present challenges to consistent data accuracy. A laser/ink wristband utilizing one-dimensional barcodes applied to inferior wristband media can cause a read/scan breakdown at various points in the care process. Smudging of the image, degradation of the wristband material, and scanning problems with a one-dimensional barcode can often leave no alternative but set aside the automated process and utilize traditional methods. It is important to address these issues when creating a PPID solution.
Our HealthDynamix specialists will help you select media for patient identification that is durable, resistant to environmental elements, and provides anti-bacterial properties. Solutions include utilizing a printing solution that eliminates smudging, enabling two-dimensional barcoding, inserting patient photographs – all to improve identification accuracy and compliance for your organization.
Barcode Medication Administration (BCMA)
Barcode medication administration greatly improves the safety and accuracy of dispensing medication, collecting specimens, verifying samples, and the administration of transfusions. To avoid illness or death, it is important that a provider uses technology that ensures the proper application of barcodes as well as consistent readability. Medications dispensed by nurses often come in various packaging and from various sources: manufacturer, hospital pharmacy, or repackaging provider. A solution that allows organizations to produce customized symbologies, read a variety of symbologies, and create distinguishing elements (such as TALLman lettering) are essential. From pharmacy label creation to patient medication verification, our HealthDynamix team will work with you to create a solution that ensures accurate, first-time reads, a reduction in legacy work-arounds, and improved clinician-patient confidence in hospital systems.
Scanning Devices
Selecting the proper barcode reader – combined with a barcode solution – can help an organization achieve data read accuracy approaching 99%. When considering the types of devices, it can be difficult to know which features are required: wired or wireless, power issues, and clinical scanning device support. Linear image, laser, and 2D imagers represent a variety of technologies and price points, and it may be unclear how to select the best device for your application or workflow.
When considering PPID and BCMA variations, there are an increasing number of symbologies, patient scenarios, and variations to read encoded data. Changes in HIT technology, regulations, and automated processes indicate an ever-increasing number to scanning environment variables. It is important to select a solution that will allow growth with these new changes, while also allowing ease-of-use for the healthcare provider. Variations in technology impact usability in the field; this leads to frustration and work-arounds that decrease accuracy and introduce error. Laser scanners, for example, may excel at reading codes from greater distances, but may have issues reading poor quality images. In contrast, a 2D imager can read poor quality images across a variety of symbologies, but must function at a closer distance. Key considerations, such as distance, ability to read poor-quality images, varied symbologies, and budget will impact an organization’s solution selection. Workflow and freedom of movement options, when addressing patient or container variations, will address current staff frustrations. HealthDynamix can work with you to analyze your environment, workflow, and applications, and then assist in evaluating the variety of device options and support programs needed to ensure a quality scanning solution.
Improving safety and efficiency in caring for patients is a top priority for health provider organizations. Regulations and initiatives in patient safety, when addressed with the proper technology, can help drive compliance and improve health care delivery. The new 2010 national patient safety goals highlight steps to improve patient identification accuracy, improve communication effectiveness among caregivers, and improve medication usage safety.
