PDC Bar Code Blood & Specimen Collection System Prevents Mistakes at Bedside & Laboratory

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As a complete bedside bar code ID system, PDC’s Bar Code Wristbands and V-Notch® Labels remove the risk of manual processes that can lead to critical patient ID errors. V-Notch labels are used exclusively with BD Vacutainer® Plus plastic tubes from Becton Dickinson, the leading supplier of blood collection tubes, to provide correct label placement the first time, every time. This patented technology ensures accurate identification and an optimal healthcare experience for patients and staff alike. In addition to providing positive ID and positive outcomes, the system reduces downtime, improves work flow productivity, and saves money without the need to re-label or re-band the patient, enabling caregivers to spend less time second-guessing inefficient processes and more time on patient care.

Today’s top hospitals have partnered with PDC to implement the following bar code process to meet important Joint Commission patient safety guidelines and streamline workflow. Call PDC today to get your hospital started: 800.772.1122.

Nurse scans bar code on patient wristband	Blood collection tubes are placed in a carrier, which is sent to the lab for analysis.
Patient record is viewed on PDA device for match to test requisition. Nurse uses device to indicate type and number of blood draws needed to print the appropriate labels for specimen testing.	Required test is performed in lab and data is automatically loaded to the patient record through the LIS system. Medical staffs can review results.
Labels are printed and the blood is drawn at the point-of-care. Label is immediately placed on the blood collection tube.	Recommended PDC ID Products Wristbands DuraPrint® 9325 & 9320 CompuBand® 7056 ScanBand® 7043 Lab Labels for Portable Printers V-Notch®

To prevent ID errors and the need to recollect samples and repeat processes, two elements are essential:

1. Specimens should be labeled directly at the time they are drawn.

PDC bar code wristbands and labels support on-demand printing at point-of-care to improve patient safety by preventing human errors. This measure of safety extends to hospital lab operations in the accurate analysis of specimens, recording of transfers, and the support of test results. The seamless automated process also saves time and increases productivity.

2. Wristbands and Labels must ensure maximum durability, printability, and scannability.

WRISTBAND - The patient wristband is one of the few hospital products that come in daily contact with the patient and caregiver—from admissions to discharge. Therefore, maximum safety and comfort for the patient, and readability and convenience for the clinician are key. PDC’s DuraPrint®, CompuBand®, and ScanBand® wristbands are durable, lightweight, and comfortable; print seamlessly in seconds; and scan the first time, every time for any application.

LABEL - PDC’s V-Notch™ Secondary Labels facilitate fast and accurate test tube alignment via its patented V-shaped visual guide. Simply align the notch on the secondary bar code label with the colored V-shape located on the test tube label. Perfect label positioning ensures perfect bar code readings! V-Notch labels are used with BD Vacutainer® Plus plastic tubes from Becton Dickinson, the leading supplier of blood collection tubes.

No matter what existing hardware your facility uses, PDC has a variety of products to create a unique bar code bedside solution that will complement your hospital’s protocol. Healthcare organizations that have adopted bedside labeling report dramatic reductions in errors. Isn’t it time your facility made the move to PDC bar code solutions for positive ID and positive outcomes?

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1. Paul N. Valenstein, MD, Stephen S. Raab, MD, Molly K. Walsh, PhD “Identification Errors Involving Clinical Laboratories: A College of American Pathologists Q-Probes Study of Patient and Specimen Identification Errors at 120 Institutions,” Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine: Vol. 130, No. 8 pp. 1106-1113.

2. Bologna L, Hardy G, Mutter M. Reducing specimen and medication errors with handheld technology. Presented at 2001 Annual Conference and Exhibition. Healthcare Information and Management Society, Feb 4-8, 2001, Chicago, IL, cited by Margaret Herrin in “A Pledge of Safety: How one laboratory automated its specimen collection process to increase productivity, streamline workflow and improve patient care.” ADVANCE for Administrators of the Laboratory, October 2006.