ECRI Institute Patient Safety Organization found most providers identify patient identification errors before they provide care, although they may have fatal consequences if providers fail to identify such errors, according to Key C Mankato.
In the analysis, ECRI examined more than 7,600 wrong-patient events.
Here are four key takeaways:
1. Nearly 9 percent of patient identification errors result in temporary harm, permanent harm or death.
2. In the report, ECRI identified all types of providers including physicians, nurses, lab technicians, pharmacists and transporters made patient identification errors.
3. Patient identification errors typically affect at least two patients.
4. The analysis' authors stated organizations voluntarily submit the wrong-patient events and therefore may only represent a small percentage of such events that occur at the organizations.
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