When is double checking the identity of the patient required by law? For example, does it pertain to all patients in radiation oncology or just brachytherapy patients? Why would or wouldn't you need to double check the identity of the patient? Tip: This may require checking the appropriate websites (NRC and TJC). What does your facility use as a means of double checking a patient's identity? What does your facility use for verification of a procedure?
Making sure that you are delivering the correct treatment to the correct patient is enormously important in radiation therapy, as well as other medical departments. To deliver the wrong treatment or irradiate the wrong area of the body could cause severe damage or even be lethal to the patient. It is because of this that at least two patient identifiers must be verified for any procedure that requires a written directive.[1,2] This includes both brachytherapy and external beam radiation therapy.[2] The patient identifiers must be reliable information to verify that it is the individual that the treatment or procedure is intended for.[1] Patient identifiers can be their name, medical record number (MRN), birth date, or telephone number, among other things.[1]
In our department at the University of Wisconsin Hospital we use at least a minimum of two patient identifiers for treatments and procedures. On the first day of treatment we have the patient say and spell their first and last name, provide their date of birth, and verify the area of the body that we will be treating. The radiation therapist is checking this information with a “face sheet” that we print off prior to their visit. This face sheet also has the patient’s picture. For all other treatments after that we require the patient to tell us their name and their birth date. Before we deliver the treatment we conduct an “encounter” on Aria which prompts us to review the prescription and check off that we have verified the patient’s birthday and name. This was recently implemented at the treatment machines and has become standard practice at this facility.
References:
In our department at the University of Wisconsin Hospital we use at least a minimum of two patient identifiers for treatments and procedures. On the first day of treatment we have the patient say and spell their first and last name, provide their date of birth, and verify the area of the body that we will be treating. The radiation therapist is checking this information with a “face sheet” that we print off prior to their visit. This face sheet also has the patient’s picture. For all other treatments after that we require the patient to tell us their name and their birth date. Before we deliver the treatment we conduct an “encounter” on Aria which prompts us to review the prescription and check off that we have verified the patient’s birthday and name. This was recently implemented at the treatment machines and has become standard practice at this facility.
References:
- The Joint Commission. Standards FAQ Details: Two Patient Identifiers. https://www.jointcommission.org/standards_information/jcfaq.aspx?ProgramId=0&ChapterId=0&IsFeatured=False&IsNew=False&Keyword=patient%20identifier. Accessed October 19, 2016.
- Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 35.41 Procedures for administrations requiring a written dhttp://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/part035/part035-0041.html. Accessed October 19, 2016.