Closing the safety loop: evaluation of the National Patient Safety Agency's guidance regarding wristband identification of hospital inpatients |
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Authors: | Nick Sevdalis BSc MSc PhD Beverley Norris PhD BSc MErgS Chris Ranger BA MA MIHM Sue Bothwell MaHSM RGN the Wristband Project Team |
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Affiliation: | Lecturer in Patient Safety, National Patient Safety Agency;Department of Bio-Surgery and Surgical Technology, Imperial College London, London, UK; Human Factors Specialist, National Patient Safety Agency, London, UK; Head of Safer Practice, National Patient Safety Agency, London, UK; Patient Safety Manager, National Patient Safety Agency, London, UK; National Patient Safety Agency, London, UK |
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Abstract: | Rationale, aims and objectives Wristbands are essential for accurate patient identification. Some evidence suggests that missing wristbands is not an infrequent occurrence in acute hospitals. The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has developed guidance on patient identification for hospitals in England and Wales. Here we report an evaluation of the uptake of the guidance. Method The evaluation was designed as a 'pre–post' intervention survey. Fifty hospitals (response rate 67%) responded to the 'pre-guidance' part and 40 hospitals (response rate 43%) responded to the 'post-guidance' part. Results The majority of the hospitals use wristbands to identify inpatients. Fifty-eight per cent of the hospitals in the 'pre-guidance' survey and 50% of them in the 'post-guidance' survey reported not having a patient identification policy before receiving the guidance. Only one hospital reported not having developed such a policy in the 'post-guidance' survey. Ninety-eight per cent of the hospitals reported that their policies are consistent with the guidance. Relevant training to staff is provided in about a quarter of the organizations, both before and after the guidance. Problems in implementing the guidance were reported by 23% of the hospitals, and included difficulties with staff or patient attitudes, or with the guidance itself, or difficulty to identify a lead staff member. Conclusion Overall, implementation of NPSA guidance regarding inpatient identification was satisfactory. The reported problems should be taken into account, as they likely apply to a range of patient safety interventions. Limitations of evaluating intervention uptake, rather than efficacy, and relying on self-report are discussed. |
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Keywords: | evaluation NPSA patient identification patient safety uptake |
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