title: Human factors engineering approaches to patient identification armband design.
abstract: The task of patient identification is performed many times each day by nurses and other members of the care team. Armbands are used for both direct verification and barcode scanning during patient identification. Armbands and information layout are critical to reducing patient identification errors and dangerous workarounds. We report the effort at two large, integrated healthcare systems that employed human factors engineering approaches to the information layout design of new patient identification armbands. The different methods used illustrate potential pathways to obtain standardized armbands across healthcare systems that incorporate human factors principles. By extension, how the designs have been adopted provides examples of how to incorporate human factors engineering into key clinical processes.
authors.affiliation: Baylor Scott&White Health, Office of Patient Safety, 8080 North Central Expressway, Suite 500, Dallas, TX, 75206, USA. Electronic address: Adam.Probst@baylorhealth.edu.
authors.forename: C Adam
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Probst
authors.affiliation: Barnes Jewish Hospital, Operational Excellence Department, One Barnes-Jewish Hospital Plaza, St. Louis, Missouri, 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Laurie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.affiliation: Washington University School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8054, St. Louis, Missouri, 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Mara
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bollini
authors.affiliation: Baylor Scott&White Health, Office of Patient Safety, 8080 North Central Expressway, Suite 500, Dallas, TX, 75206, USA.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xiao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001132:Arm; D001330:Electronic Data Processing; D006804:Ergonomics / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000517:prevention & control; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D010355:Patient Identification Systems / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards
keywords: Patient armband design; Patient identification armbands; Patient safety