Redefining The Patient Wristband

By Honeywell

Reduction of errors in the hospital starts with accurate patient identification. Bar codes are becoming a standard feature on the patient wristband. Mobile computers and bar code readers allow bedside reading of the patient ID code. Unfortunately, the current bar code designs make reading exceedingly difficult. This leads to wasted time and frustration among the nursing staff.

This paper describes a system using matrix bar codes and mobile imaging readers that solves all five of the existing patient ID reading challenges:

• Finding the bar code when it wraps around the patient's wrist
• Positioning the reader so that it is aligned within the "scan zone"
• The bar code becomes unreadable due to smudging and smearing that naturally occurs during the patient's stay
• Data accuracy is often compromised in an attempt to solve the first three challenges
• Today's wristbands are up to 1.25 inch wide in order to accommodate current bar code designs; this makes them more expensive, less comfortable for the patient, and too big for children

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