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Factors Affecting Patient Misidentification | Collection of Laboratory Specimens

Purpose: To prevent patient misidentification when collecting a laboratory specimen.

Description

Misidentification errors with laboratory specimens can arise from misidentification of the patient or misidentification of a specimen. It is necessary to positively identify the patient and to avoid possible pitfalls, especially in high-risk situations.


High-risk situations that require extra precautions:

(1) patient unable to respond or to understand

(2) patient identity uncertain

(3) two or more patients with similar sounding or same names present

(4) emergency situation

(5) more than one patient in an area

 

Problems can arise if:

(1) the patient is wearing the wrong identification band (everything wrong)

(2) some information about the patient is wrong (name right, other data wrong)

(3) there is an attempt at intentional misidentification (fraud)

 

Factor

Good Practice

Poor Practice

training of personnel

good

none or poor

identification protocol

adhere to all steps

ignore one or more steps

identification band

checked if present, requires alternative ID if absent

not checked

questions to verify identify

require an active response

asks leading questions or accepts passive or ambiguous response

number of items used to verify identity in addition to ID band

2 or more

none

include patient’s name in conversation when possible

yes

no

if problem encountered

stops until clarified

proceeds

 

In some situations an official photo-ID may be requested to establish identity. If an adequate identification card is not available, then consider taking a photograph of the person for later reference.


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Specialty

Objective

ICD-10