JPAC Joint United Kingdom (UK) Blood Transfusion and Tissue Transplantation Services Professional Advisory Committee
  1. Home/
  2. Transfusion Practice/
  3. Identification/
  4. Electronic Patient Identification

Electronic Patient Identification

Key Points

Patient wristbands or their alternatives should be printed, rather than handwritten, in compliance with NPSA standards 

Patient ID details encoded in bar codes enable electronic checks by allowing a comparison between the details on the patient’s wristband and the blood compatibility label with a scan of the bar codes using a handheld device, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA).

Electronic patient ID can be used throughout the transfusion process:

  • Blood sampling – the sample is identified by a printed label generated from a scan of the patient ID bar code at the bedside
  • Booking in to the laboratory by scanning the blood sample label’s bar code
  • At the point of collection by comparing the bar code on the compatibility label with that on the pick up slip (generated from a scan of the patient ID bar code at the bedside)
  • On arrival in the clinical area, recording the blood unit’s whereabouts and storage status
  • At the final bedside check, electronic patient ID checks enhance the safety of the checking procedures, rather than replace them:
    • Patient ID should always be checked using a verbal check where possible
    • A second nurse checking is unnecessary where an electronic bedside checking process is in place
  • To record observations, linking the patient ID and blood unit to time-stamped records of observations and confirmation of the transfusion (for compliance with traceability regulations)

There are many other benefits to using electronic patient ID throughout the transfusion process, including the ability to link staff ID to transfusion activity. This assists transfusion teams in:

  • Assessing compliance with competency requirements
  • Increasing accountability among teams and individuals
  • Creating new ways to monitor processes in clinical practice
  • Aiding the investigation and analysis of incidents and near misses by creating accurate timelines

Auditing blood use, trends in transfusion-related activity and compliance with education and training requirements.

National guidance / recommendations

BCSH Guidelines 2014 ‘Guidelines for the specification, implementation and management of information technology (IT) systems in hospital transfusion laboratories (PDF)

NHS Evidence: Electronic Blood Transfusion: Improving safety and efficiency of transfusion systems (PDF)

National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA 2007) Safer Practice Notice ‘Standardising wristbands improves patient safety’

National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA 2006) Safer Practice Notice ‘Right patient, right blood’

Journal articles / publications

Murphy MF, Fraser E, Miles D et al. (2012) How do we monitor hospital transfusion practice using an end-to-end electronic transfusion management system. Transfusion, 52: 2502–12

Morrison, A.P, Tanasijevic, M.J, Goonan EM, et al. (2010) Reduction in Specimen Labelling Errors After Implementation of a Positive Patient Identification System in Phlebotomy. American Journal of Clinical Pathology, 870-877

Murphy MF, Staves J, Davies A et al. (2009) How do we approach a major change program using the example of the development, evaluation, and implementation of an electronic transfusion management system. Transfusion, 49: 829–37

Davies A, Staves J, Kay J et al. (2006) End-to-end electronic control of the hospital transfusion process to increase the safety of blood transfusion: strengths and weaknesses. Transfusion, 46: 352–64

Other resources

Extracts from the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust’s blood transfusion policy as an example of how a fully implemented electronic system works as part of everyday practice