title: Piloting the use of 2D barcode and patient safety-software in an Australian tertiary hospital setting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Errors in administration of blood products can lead to poor patient outcomes including fatal ABO incompatible transfusions. This pilot study sought to establish whether the use of two-dimensional (2D) barcode technology combined with patient identification software designed to assist in blood administration improves the bedside administration of transfusions in an Australian tertiary hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in a Haematology/Oncology Day Clinic of a major metropolitan hospital, to evaluate the use of 2D barcode technology and patient safety-software and hand-held PDAs to assist nursing staff in patient identification and blood administration. Comparative audits were conducted before and after the technology's implementation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The preimplementation transfusion practice audits demonstrated a poor understanding of the blood checking process, with focus on the product rather than patient identification. Following the implementation of 2D barcode technology and patient safety-software, there was significant improvement in administration practice. Positive, verbal patient identification improved from 57% (51/90) to 94% (75/80). Similarly, the cross-referencing of the patient's identification with the patient's wristband improved from 36% (32/90) to 94% (75/80), and the cross-referencing of patient ID on the compatibility tag to wristbands improved from 48% (43/90) to 99% (79/80). Importantly, the 2D barcode technology and patient safety-software saw 100% (80/80) of checks being conducted at the patient bedside, compared with 76% (68/90) in the preimplementation audits.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This pilot study demonstrates that 2D barcode technology and patient safety-software significantly improves the bedside check of patient and blood product identification in an Australian setting.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Haematology Department, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Akers
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Magrin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Whitehead
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D001787:Blood Group Incompatibility / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D054869:Clinical Audit; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000295:instrumentation*; D061214:Patient Safety; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012984:Software; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers
keywords: transfusion medicine (in general); transfusion reactions; transfusion therapy