Specimen labeling errors: a Q-probes analysis of 147 clinical laboratories.
BACKGROUND
Accurate specimen identification is critical for quality patient care. Improperly identified specimens can result in delayed diagnosis, additional laboratory testing, treatment of the wrong patient for the wrong disease, and severe transfusion reactions. Specimen identification errors have been reported to occur at rates of 0.1% to 5%.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the frequency of labeling errors in a multi-institutional survey.


METHODS
Labeling errors were categorized as: (1) mislabeled, (2) unlabeled, (3) partially labeled, (4) incompletely labeled, and (5) illegible label. Blood specimens for routine or stat chemistry, hematology, and coagulation testing were included. Labeling error rates were calculated for each participant and tested for associations with institutional demographic and practice variable information.


RESULTS
More than 3.3 million specimen labels were reviewed by 147 laboratories. Labeling errors were identified at a rate of 0.92 per 1000 labels. Two variables were statistically associated with lower labeling error rates: (1) laboratories with current, ongoing quality monitors for specimen identification (P = .008) and (2) institutions with 24/7 phlebotomy services for inpatients (P = .02). Most institutions had written policies for specimen labeling at the bedside or in outpatient phlebotomy areas (96% and 98%, respectively). Allowance of relabeling of blood specimens by primary collecting personnel was reported by 42% of institutions.


CONCLUSIONS
Laboratories actively engaged in ongoing specimen labeling quality monitors had fewer specimen labeling errors. Also, 24/7 phlebotomy services were associated with lower specimen error rates. Establishing quality metrics for specimen labeling and deploying 24/7 phlebotomy operations may contribute to improving the accuracy of specimen labeling for the clinical laboratory.
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Los Angeles Clinical Laboratories, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1732, USA. ewagar@mednet.ucla.edu
Elizabeth A
EA
Wagar
Ana K
AK
Stankovic
Stephen
S
Raab
Raouf E
RE
Nakhleh
Molly K
MK
Walsh
D003625:Data Collection; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007755:Laboratories, Hospital; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010338:Pathology, Clinical / Q000592:standards; D018962:Phlebotomy; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D011786:Quality Control; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*