Use of Barcodes to Improve Safety in Healthcare

Abstract

The application of barcode technology for verification, that is, confirming that the right procedure or medication is administered to the right patient, at the right time, can improve safety significantly in many healthcare processes. Details of applying barcodes in transfusion and medication administration are described to illustrate how they can help to reduce errors. However, the effectiveness of barcodes in error reduction relies on the compliance of staff. Workarounds – omission of steps, steps out of sequence, or unauthorized steps – can compromise patient safety. The technical, organizational, patient-related, and environmental factors, which encourage those practices, need to be understood to prevent their occurrence. Also, the introduction of barcodes can lead to a workflow change and increased workload, which may lead to adverse effects. Successful introduction of barcodes must take into account the design of the process, the change management, the human factors issues, as well as related organizational issues.