Positive patient identification: use barcoding technology to enhance patient safety and reduce risk
Standards of patient safety are non-negotiable. Here we highlight the key factors to consider, and what best practice patient safety entails.
With 2006 research finding that one in ten patients admissions resulted in some kind of error, the Department of Health intends for all products supplied to the NHS, including surgical equipment, patient wristbands and drugs, to carry barcodes compliant to a single GS1 UK standard.
This ensures adherence to five fundamental principles of patient safety:
Ensuring that the right patient
Is given the right treatment
In the right dose
Through the right route
At the right time
This paper looks at why and how barcoded patient wristbands support better patient safety, and the advantages they offer to healthcare providers.