Question

1.Identify three examples of short-term impacts if there is a duplicate medical record issue.

2. Describe six key data for patient verification.

3.Summarize a Joint Commission standard for patient identification.

Answer 1

Answer: Duplicate medical records and overlays are created as a result of patient identification errors. A duplicate medical record occurs when a single patient is associated with more than one medical record. Oftentimes, duplicate medical records are partial duplicates that only capture a portion of a patient's medical history. An overlay occurs when one patient's record is overwritten with data from another patient's record, creating a combined, inaccurate record.

Answer: Approved patient identifiers are those items of information accepted for use in patient identification and include:

• patient name (family and given names)
• date of birth
• gender (as identified by the patient themselves)
• address
• patient record number where it exists.

Answer: Although The Joint Commission does not require the use of arm bands for patient/resident identification, if you do choose to use arm bands as a means of conveying patient/resident identification information, the band must be attached to the patient/resident at all times. Simply placing it on the bedside table or taping it to the bed would not be acceptable if there is any reliance on the information contained on it. At a minimum, it applies whenever the patient/resident requires a special diet or the meal/snack that is being delivered is part of a special diet. It may be easier to implement this requirement consistently by applying it to all patients/residents receiving diets or snacks.