PDC Securline® Blood Bands
NORTHEAST ALABAMA REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center (NEARMC) switched from Fenwal Typenex to Precision Dynamics Corporation (PDC) Blood Bands because of enhanced product features and reduced cost. Thanks to PDC Blood Band's features, such as 23 serialized peel-off labels and a user-friendly snap closure, lab personnel appreciate the improved convenience and performance of Blood Band. Add in the 21% cost reduction and PDC Blood Band provides the ultimate in both security and savings!
Cost Savings
Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center, a 375-bed hospital, uses the PDC Securline® Blood Band Wristband System to positively identify the right patient to the right blood sample.
"Our work is based on having the correct blood sample for the right patient," says Linda Harvey, Blood Bank Supervisor at Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center. "We can't afford not to use a reliable blood band—the integrity of our work and the safety of our patients depend on it."
Securline Blood Bands help prevent instances of patient and blood misidentification and improve patient safety at an affordable price. "A major reason we changed products was because of the cost-savings we incurred with Blood Band," says Harvey.
On average, PDC Blood Bands cost 21% less than leading competitor products, including Fenwal. "We use an average of about 1,000 bands a month," says Harvey. Alabama Regional Medical Center saves over $3,700 dollars a year using Securline Blood Bands.
"Our work is based on having the correct blood sample for the right patient. We can't afford not to use a reliable blood band—the integrity of our work and the safety of our patients depend on it."
— Linda Harvey
Blood Bank Supervisor, NEARMC
Positive Identification
The unique ID printed on the wristband and the adhesive labels provides a direct link between blood samples, patient, and any cross-matched blood.
"The [Blood Band] serialization is essential for providing positive patient identification, and it is a proven way to ID patients," says Harvey. "We obtain numerous blood samples a day and the unique ID enables us to match the right blood and patient."
Blood Band Wristbands include 23 adhesive labels, each printed with a unique ID number. At Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center, one label is adhered to a serum tube and another to a second specimen tube. At the same time, a clinical lab assistant double checks that the patient's medical record number (MRN) on the wristband matches the MRN in the patient's chart.
Once the blood is cross-matched, the Blood Band unique ID number is written in the patient's chart. This step ensures that the lab technologist picks up the specimen tube and writes the number in the chart, adding another identification check to the blood matching process.
The Blood Bands are used throughout the entire hospital, but Harvey states that they are especially useful when used in the emergency room (ER). "When we have a bus load of non-English speaking patients or just a very busy day in the ER, the unique ID on each band comes in very handy," says Harvey.
The non-transferable Securline Blood Bands include a patented SecurSnap® closure for maximum patient safety. According to Harvey, the staff prefers PDC Blood Band's plastic snap as opposed to metal snaps because it makes the application process much easier.
Harvey adds that "the staff's on-going training enables them to accurately administer the wristband on a patient, and we have not had any problems with bands coming off due to placement error."
Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center is a great example of how using the right Blood Band Wristbands can help prevent misidentification of patients and blood samples, and reduce overall costs.
 About NEARMC
Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center has a rich tradition as a healthcare leader in Northeast Alabama. With a 336-licensed bed capacity, Regional Medical Center is a non-tax supported, not-for-profit hospital, serving over 250,000 citizens in the region. The facility is approved by the Joint Commission, and is a member of the Voluntary Hospitals of America, Inc.
 About PDC
With over 50 years of experience, PDC is a leader and pacesetter in the development of patient wristband systems including Auto ID solutions. The company introduced the first patient Bar Code ID Wristband, patented Smart Band® Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Wristbands, the AgeBand® System, and PDC Smart Kiosk® Cashless RFID System. PDC is committed to 100% quality in service, design, and manufacturing and has ISO-9001: 2000 and ISO-13485: 2003 certification.
Precision Dynamics Corporation name and logo, and Securline® are registered trademarks of Precision Dynamics Corporation. All other product names, company names, marks, logos and symbols mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners.
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