To identify the number of individuals for whom double identification check was done before administering medication and before procedure/intervention, as per Continual Quality Improvement 3j indicator of National Accreditation Board of Hospitals (4th edition) and hospital policy.

The study was a concurrent, observational recording of the study population which included doctors/surgeons, nurses, and/or technicians before administration of any medication and before beginning of any procedure/intervention. The observations were recorded on a prepared checklist to find the compliance of incidence of patients’ double identification.

A total of 34 observations were recorded before administering medication to a patient. In 18 cases, wristbands were not being used, and identification details were incorrect in 4 cases. Of 34 cases, identifiers were illegible in 6 cases. The major area where the error was high was noncompliance to verbal confirmation of identity (ID) and checking it from the patient’s file. Out of 34 observations before a procedure/intervention, 9 errors were identified in cases where the ID band was not used for verification, and identification details on the band were illegible in 5 cases. In six cases, the patient’s name was not verbally confirmed with the patient or carer. Furthermore, in 10 cases, verbally confirmed name was not checked with the patient’s file. Out of 34 cases, double identification was not done in 13 cases.

Many nurses, doctors, and technicians in clinical settings do not verify patient ID before performing a task, resulting in more than one-third of staff not conforming themselves with the double identification procedure. The study also showed that over three-fourths of the total invasive procedures are compliant to double identification. On the contrary, noninvasive procedures showed less than one-fourth compliance to double identification.

Chawla R, Kaushik S. Incidence of Patient Identification Errors observed before Medication and Procedure/Intervention. Int J Res Foundation Hosp Healthc Adm 2016;4(2):100-106.