Potential 2008 National Patient Safety Goals and Requirements
Laboratory Version
Goal 1
Improve the accuracy of patient identification.
Note:
Requirement 1A is an existing requirement. For 2008 there is a proposal to include an additional Implementation Expectation (see #5 below)Requirement 1A
Use at least two patient identifiers when providing care, treatment or services
.Rationale for Requirement 1A
Wrong-patient errors occur in virtually all aspects of diagnosis and treatment. The intent for this goal is two-fold; first, to reliably identify the individual as the person for whom the service or treatment is intended; second to match the service or treatment to that individual.
Implementation Expectations for Requirement 1A:
1. Two patient identifiers are used when doing the following:
•
Administering medications or blood products•
Collecting blood samples and other specimens for clinical testing•
Providing other treatments or procedures2. The patient’s room number or physical location is not used as an identifier.
3. Containers used for blood and other specimens are labeled in the presence of the patient.
4. Processes are established to maintain samples’ identity throughout the pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical processes.
5. The organization investigates and initiates planning for the use of technology to assist with patient identification. This planning addresses:
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The type of technology to be considered.•
An estimated timeline for evaluation and implementation.•
The scope of implementation•
The resource requirements for implementation.•
A proactive assessment of associated risks
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