THE IMPACT OF ACCURATE PATIENT IDENTIFICATION ON PATIENT SAFETY
Keywords:
1. Patient Identification 2. Patient Safety 3. Medical Errors 4. Healthcare Technology 5. Barcode Scanning 6. Electronic Health Records (EHR) 7. Wristband Identification 8. Error Prevention 9. Adverse Events 10. Healthcare Quality 11. Safety Protocols 12. Human Factors 13. Patient Outcomes 14. Compliance 15. Sentinel Events 16. Healthcare Standards 17. Risk Management 18. Clinical Practice 19. Patient Care 20. Interdisciplinary CollaborationAbstract
Patient misidentification is a significant challenge in healthcare, with errors in patient identification contributing to a range of adverse events, including medication errors, wrong-site surgeries, and improper treatments. This paper explores the impact of patient identification practices on patient safety, emphasizing the role of technology, such as barcode scanning and electronic health records (EHRs), as well as standardized protocols to improve identification accuracy. A comprehensive review of current literature was conducted, highlighting key findings on common misidentification errors, the effectiveness of identification interventions, and barriers to protocol compliance. The findings suggest that while technology greatly enhances patient identification processes, its success relies on proper implementation, ongoing staff training, and adherence to established protocols. Improving patient identification practices through technological advancements, staff education, and patient engagement has shown to significantly reduce medical errors, thereby enhancing patient safety outcomes. This study underscores the importance of embedding robust identification systems within healthcare facilities and recommends continued research and policy development to further mitigate risks associated with patient misidentification.
