Reducing major identification errors within a deployed phlebotomy process

To achieve a patient-focused care environment, many hospitals are moving phlebotomy from the laboratory to the nursing units. Although this move has benefits, it also can bring an increase in error rates. The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, New Jersey, implemented the BD Dx System patient identification system (Becton Dickinson, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey) in an effort to reduce the incidence of phlebotomy errors. This article discusses how to identify key factors in deploying phlebotomy, to analyze the specimen collection process, to set baselines for identification of errors, to identify critical steps in the blood collection process for error reduction, and to reduce errors by using the new hand-held computer technology for patient and specimen identification.