On 31,323 occasions patients were found without wristbands. There were 26,510 other wristband errors including illegible or incomplete data detected. A particularly frightening finding was that in 269 instances patients were found to be wearing another patients identification bracelet. The maintenance of proper wristband identification of hospitalized patients is challenging. Our institution had been involved in a similar study several years previously and was successful in working with nursing and anesthesia services in reducing absent, illegible, or incorrect wristbands.
Errors are a subject of a continous monitor in our hospital.
However, such errors are similar to weeding a garden. Such a policy must be discussed with the nursing service and medical staff to coordinate a course of action when wristband errors are discovered. Wristband error identification is an excellent subject for a hospital wide quality indicator. Continuous monitoring by phlebotomists is certainly indicated as well as targeting patient care areas with a high error rate. We have found when intravenous lines are placed by nurses or members of the anesthesia service, wristbands are often cut off.