How does your hospital color-code patient wristbands?
I know that using color-coded wristbands on patients isn’t a new idea, but after reading how the Northeast Indiana Patient Safety Coalition (NIPSC) is currently working to get its local hospitals standardized on color-coding in the Journal Gazette, I began to wonder if hospitals have actually accomplished standardizing wristband colors. The NIPSC is hoping to ensure its hospitals follow the American Hospital Association’s standard set of colors (released in September 2008).
Several area coalitions have sprung up in Indiana in the past couple of years in an attempt to get their colors straight, and avoid near-misses such as the well-known incident of a clinician in Pennsylvania who almost failed to resuscitate a patient because she confused her colors. That incident was reported to the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting System (PA-PSRS) in 2005. Since then, reports of wristband problems to the PA-PSRS increased 40%, according to the Pennsylvania Safety Authority.
Does your hospital use color-coded wristbands at all? Does your state or region follow guidelines for color-coding patient wristbands? Post your comment below.
About the Author: Tami Swartz is an associate editor at HCPro, Inc., where she serves as editor for books, videos, and other resources in the accreditation and quality/patient safety markets. Tami also writes for Briefings on Patient Safety, an HCPro monthly publication. Contact Tami by e-mailing tswartz@hcpro.com
Ellen Interlandi | Feb 11, 2009 | Reply
New Mexico hospitals voluntarily adopted the standardized wristband colors in March 2007. Almost all the acute care hospitals have voluntarily adopted 2 or more of the colors as suggested by AHA.
Bonnie Haluska | Mar 2, 2009 | Reply
As chairman of the Color of Safety Task Force, the original North East Pa. committee that started the standarization effort in the spring of 2006- I am proud to say that over half of the states are standardized to at least three of our recommended five colors/intentions. I would strongly recommend
the pink restricted extremity band too- well received by all clinicians that use them- as well as patients.
Niels (Blogger in Wristbands) | May 2, 2009 | Reply
Being fairly new to this industry I have learned a lot by studying your website, which I find very informative. The whole idea is so smart, the applications many and the purpose simple to establish; either save or make money. The latter can also be translated into raise money e.g. for charities. Again I am amazed by some of the applications wristbands can be used for; it seems that only the imagination is the limit. Take just a school or university and realize how many possibilities exist. Each possibility means a business opportunity, it is truly amazing. However there is one question I am thinking a lot about. Since the competition today is so tough due to the present turmoil on the financial markets how does one try to sell high quality products at a very low price? Everybody want to convince the potential customer that his company offers the best product at the lowest price on the market, not very convincing so I think some more realistic words have to be chosen. Since the ideas of wristbands are not that old I find it amusing that some companies take about 50+ years experience within this business area is that not to mislead the customers or am I wrong?
Bill | Sep 29, 2009 | Reply
Just added my own blog this month. I need some inspiration. Thx.