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Improperly or unlabeled specimens can
cause delays and errors.
Every day hundreds of blood and other
specimens are coming into the province’s laboratories, some of them
with incorrect MCP numbers, incorrect names or with no labeling at
all. These errors can cause serious problems for patients and for
staff.
For instance, in some families where a
father and son may have the same first and last names, an incorrect
MCP number can result in the wrong family member receiving the
information. This not only causes confusion but is also a breech of
confidentiality if the results are released to the wrong family
member.
The importance of proper labeling is
highlighted in the Laboratory Medicine Program Policy. It states: An
adequate label for any specimen submitted to the laboratory must
contain:
For those occasional samples for which
only the physician knows the identity, the requisition and the
specimen label must contain the same information, for example a
“coded” name and an identifier other than an MCP number.
There is also an issue surrounding
adverse effects because of mislabeling. Too often near misses are
caught before a patient can be mis-diagnosed or wrongly medicated.
We need your help, as physicians, in ensuring this type of thing
doesn’t happen. It’s a matter of patient safety.
If we all work together to properly
label specimens, you will receive results quickly and accurately,
and the patient will receive a clear and accurate diagnosis.
Lynn Wade is the client services
manager with the laboratory program for St. John’s hospitals with
the Eastern Health authority. |
