Patient Safety Tool: Toolkit to Prevent Mislabeled Blood Specimens

Jaimie Oh -

The South Carolina Hospital Association offers a free, downloadable toolkit intended to help healthcare providers prevent mislabeling of blood specimens.

The Final Check toolkit was designed by SCHA and Outcome Engenuity. The toolkit was based on the Final Check strategy, under which nurses draw the blood, affix a pre-printed label and then out loud, in front of the patient, reads the last three digits of the medical record number from the patient's arm band and then from the blood specimen container.  

This strategy reported helped Palmetto Health Richland Hospital in Columbia, S.C., reduce mislabeled blood specimens by 90 percent. The Final Check toolkit includes an information brochure, commitment card and printable posters.

Download the Final Check toolkit for use in your facility.

Note: View our database providing 150 reports that link to free, downloadable and adaptable tools for use in surgery centers, hospitals and other organizations by clicking here.

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