Computer-assisted bar-coding system significantly reduces clinical laboratory specimen identification errors in a pediatric oncology hospital.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the ability of a bar code-based electronic positive patient and specimen identification (EPPID) system to reduce identification errors in a pediatric hospital's clinical laboratory.


METHODS
An EPPID system was implemented at a pediatric oncology hospital to reduce errors in patient and laboratory specimen identification. The EPPID system included bar-code identifiers and handheld personal digital assistants supporting real-time order verification. System efficacy was measured in 3 consecutive 12-month time frames, corresponding to periods before, during, and immediately after full EPPID implementation.


RESULTS
A significant reduction in the median percentage of mislabeled specimens was observed in the 3-year study period. A decline from 0.03% to 0.005% (P < .001) was observed in the 12 months after full system implementation. On the basis of the pre-intervention detected error rate, it was estimated that EPPID prevented at least 62 mislabeling events during its first year of operation.


CONCLUSIONS
EPPID decreased the rate of misidentification of clinical laboratory samples. The diminution of errors observed in this study provides support for the development of national guidelines for the use of bar coding for laboratory specimens, paralleling recent recommendations for medication administration.
Hayden
Randall T
RT
Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
Patterson
Donna J
DJ
Jay
Dennis W
DW
Cross
Carl
C
Dotson
Pamela
P
Possel
Robert E
RE
Srivastava
Deo Kumar
DK
Mirro
Joseph
J
Shenep
Jerry L
JL
D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D002624:Chemistry, Clinical / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002648:Child; D003199:Computer Systems; D003201:Computers; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D001330:Electronic Data Processing; D005568:Forms and Records Control; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007753:Laboratories / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D050316:Medical Order Entry Systems; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results