How Ambulatory Surgery Centers Can Save Costs and Ensure Patient Safety with Positive Patient Identification
This year ambulatory surgery centers are taking a massive hit from COVID-19 shutdowns 
and cancellations of all elective surgeries.
Under normal circumstances, surgery centers have a tough enough time providing high-quality care and surgical procedures while keeping costs under control. But the financial reality has been turned upside down this year, and ambulatory surgery centers will be battling unprecedented challenges in patient safety and cost control.
Fortunately, one effective strategy to minimize risks and costs for patients and providers is to invest in a positive patient identification and mobile workflow strategy.
Error-proofing patient identification is a critical first step, and it’s absolutely crucial to ensuring patient and provider safety, especially in the era of COVID-19.
During the coronavirus pandemic, the stakes are particularly high, but even under normal circumstances, patient identification issues are at the heart of some startlingly negative statistics:
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13% of surgical mistakes are directly related to patient ID errors1
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35% of denied medical claims result from inaccurate patient ID or incomplete patient information1
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1.3 million people (1 per day) are injured annually due to medication errors2
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64% of clinicians say a patient is misidentified very frequently or all the time in a typical facility1
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63% of healthcare organizations say incorrect identification at registration is the primary cause for misidentification1
Now that we’re battling a pandemic on top of these other risks, the best way to fight back is with a positive patient identification strategy using barcode wristbands.
Toward that end, our team at SK&T has teamed up with Zebra Technologies to provide leading surgery centers with simple and cost-effective solutions to ensure accurate patient identification, seamless medication matching, and successful surgeries and claims.
By equipping ambulatory surgery centers with Zebra’s ZD510-HC wristband printing solution and Z-Band disinfectant-ready barcode wristbands, we provide a complete system to ensure flawless identification from admission and medication administration to surgical procedure and final discharge.
Our solution helps replace manual and error-prone identification processes and track patients, procedures and medications accurately to reduce risk, deliver safer care, and prevent denied medical claims.
And, Zebra’s Z-Band wristbands are disinfectant-ready and can withstand harsh cleaning solvents, including 70% alcohol solutions and healthcare-grade sanitizers.
Moreover, we’re working with Zebra to help surgery centers streamline their patient care workflows and maximize cost-saving productivity with mobile technologies such as touch mobile computers and tablets.
For example, Zebra’s TC52-HC healthcare mobile computer puts all the tools for mobile and efficient patient care at providers’ fingertips. It combines high-powered mobile computing; real-time voice, text, and alerts; and advanced 1D/2D barcode scanning in a single device that can be disinfected and has a virtually seamless housing to help prevent the spread of bacteria.
In addition to providing Zebra’s positive patient identification solutions and running your EHR, lab software, or other applications, the TC52-HC is also an all-in-one device for bedside and mobile patient care. Many of our clients have been using these and other Zebra devices, such as tablets and barcode scanners, to automate more of their workflows, save time, and coordinate better care at a crucial time for everyone involved.
If saving costs and keeping your patients and providers safe are top priorities for your surgery center, contact SK&T now to learn more about our Zebra solutions. We’ll show you how we can help you error-proof your patient identification and create a more efficient operation through the power of technology.
1 The Ponemon Institute, 2016 National Patient Misidentification Report
