ISTAT Scanning
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Hi all,
We have ISTAT testing being performed by many different department and in different settings throughout our institutions. Some areas are performing ISTAT testing from vacutainers and others from syringes in the case of line draws. I have all the ISTATs programmed to be a label scan. I have a critical care unit, that is that is strongly pressuring me to allow them to scan the patient armband rather than the specimen label. They are pulling the blood from lines and performing the testing bedside. I don't feel that it is correct to scan the armband and essentially run an unlabeled specimen from the syringe.
Can you please share your practices and views on this? Am I wrong to require the label scan?
Thanks for your input,
Dianne
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All of our I-stats are performed by scanning the patient bracelet. We do not require that the syringe be labeled if it is performed at the bedside. Any specimen that leaves the bedside must labeled with 2 patient identifiers.
We use RALS for our interface to EPIC.
Hi to all,
Our practice is the same as Tricia. As long as the specimen does not leave the room and it is tested bedside, we have them scan the wristband.
JoAnn
Dianne,
What computer system do you use? With RALS like Tricia said, the order is created from scanning the wrist band, not ordered in advance in the LIS. In that case, patient identifiers should still be used to properly identify the patient. Bedside testing never leaves the patient's side. Tubes should be labeled, but syringes need not be if they are tested immediately straight from the identified patient. RALS creates the order and sends it to the LIS upon completion of results or holds the results in the event of an error. Not labeling each specimen collected and promptly run does not eliminate the need for proper patient identification for testing.
We have the same practice as the others if it is bedside they can scan the armband if the specimen is drawn than removed from the bedside in the case of mri they must label the specimen and then scan the specimen.
Sent via Groupsite Mobile.
I have a different barcode on labels than is on the armband. What identifiers they use must be attached to the patient. The only exception to that is the procedural areas when they have one patient at a time.
We do not label anything if it stays in the room either......we do thousands of blood gases on the ISTAT in this manner.
Our hospital utilizes patient armband bar codes also as long as testing is performed bedside. Leave the bedside, the sample needs to be labeled. The order is created with the scanning. We do audit to verify that there is an actual doctor's order to for test. We use Telcor/Citrix.
Hi Dianne,
Similar to what others have said, I actually think exactly the opposite of you - in that I think the only thing they should be allowed to scan is the patient armband. That practices forces them to "label" or identify the patient at the bedside. In most areas I actually block them from being able to scan anything other than the armband - we have a two letter check digit built into the armband that does not exist on the floor labels. In areas that are allowed to scan stickers we can see in Telcor whether they scanned the sticker or the armband based on if the two letters were truncated by Telcor or not.
Silka
We have the same process as Silka - disallowing the patient label/sticker to be scanned and only allowing the wristband barcode (fortunately they are slightly different in symbology). This has been responsible for zero patient identification errors since starting iSTAT multiple years ago. It also made for a cool Patient Safety demo at a hospital fair a few years back where I showed that the device would only accept a wristband scan and rejected the patient label.
Now if only ALL devices could be configured this way...
We scan the patient armband and the RALS system orders and results the test. We do have available patient labels with the account number on it in case the armband is not accessible or to place on tubes leaving the room; then they can still enter the number manually. What is the number on your tube/syringe label? Is it the billing/account number or actually an ordered lab test label? If the billing number and it is the same as the armband, I would not have a problem with it, just make sure they do not remove the syringe from the room without a label. If it is an ordered Lab test label, then your interface may not accomodate both number configurations. Ivy Douglas
Are either Silka or James Beck on epic? We're currently working on this solution and have questions! Thanks!
I have I stats to RALS to Epic Beaker to Epic if anyone has questions. Maybe I can help!!!
JoAnn
not on Epic here - sorry :(
Yes, I currently have Telcor to Meditech Magic (LIS) to Epic (HIS) for iSTAT. In November we will FINALLY (Praise the Lord!) be moving to Epic Beaker for our LIS so we will be Telcor to Epic Beaker.
Currently our patient armbands have the Epic CSN, and unfortunately Meditech Magic uses Epic HAR, so we have a LAB label that prints with a barcode of the HAR number on it, which is what nurses scan at the bedside.
Come November we will finally be able to use CSN for the patient ID, and I can finally lock out my devices to only accept the patient armband scan with the two letter check digit.
At my previous organization which was much larger, we used Epic CSN on the armbands and were an armband scan only hospital system in almost every department, at every hospital.
Hi James,
How do you just allow a wristband barcode to scan?
see attached screenshot of how our DE is configured for wristband only. This will disallow a label scan. Not sure if the same configuration will work for you based on how your wristbands and labels are configured but you're welcome to try!