How Mobile Tech is Eliminating Bedside Errors in Healthcare

Some Key Examples of Bedside Error-Proofing Technologies and Processes

1. Bedside Patient Wristband Printing

At DCM, our healthcare technology and clinical mobility experts routinely work with hospitals and clinics to make sure that there is always a fast, simple, and reliable way to print, apply, and fasten patient ID wristbands to every patient at admissions or at the bedside.

With compact, cartridge-based wristband printers from Zebra, one of our key technology partners, a comfortable and highly durable patient ID wristband can be printed on demand from a mobile medical cart to match each patient and corresponding record in your EHR, laboratory or other systems. A nurse or other clinician can print and securely fasten the wristband in just seconds, and they can use a mobile device or barcode scanner to scan each wristband’s barcode and match it to the appropriate patient record.

2. Bedside Specimen Labeling

In many hospitals, the cart-based mobile printing approach is combined with bedside specimen collection and labeling. In this case, you can use a compact and easy-to-use Zebre healthcare printer to print specialized specimen labels right at the patient’s bedside. You can then scan and match them to each patient ID and to each lab order in your EHR or other system.

By enabling printing and labeling right at the bedside, there’s no risk of errors caused by having to walk back and forth between patient rooms and workstations. There’s also no issue with batch printing in advance, which introduces delays between printing labels and actually applying them accurately to the right collected specimens. 

Instead, each individual specimen’s label is printed and applied on the spot, at the bedside, to minimize any risk of error. And specialized Zebra specimen labels are available with resistance to chemicals, fluids, deep freezing, and other conditions that can come into play with lab analysis. 

So, any printed information and barcodes are protected and remain scannable and readable, even under extreme conditions or exposure. This is a perfect way to help ensure accuracy and minimize risks of specimen-labeling errors or damaged, unreadable labels that can disrupt lab processes and lead to dangerous patient care errors.

3. Bedside Medication and Patient Matching

Similarly, you can use bedside scanning, patient ID wristbands, and digital tracking to make sure that the right patient gets the right medication every time. Instead of manually consulting patient charts, medication labels, or managing batch medication distribution, you can scan each patient’s wristband, scan the corresponding medication bottle, and match them together and confirm correct dosage and administration procedures in your EHR.

It’s all possible with the same Zebra wristbands that you use for all other patient care management, plus a Zebra mobile computer to run a mobile version of your EHR and scan barcodes.

But mobile computing solutions aren’t your only option. Some hospitals create workstations on wheels that have a compact desktop PC and monitor paired with compact wristband and label printers and a Zebra healthcare barcode scanner—all on the same mobile cart. This lets nurses or other users access a full desktop version of your EHR, laboratory, medication management, or other systems, and they’re able to see patient data, charts and other information on a larger, digital screen and using a full keyboard.

Ultimately, the exact configuration and devices you use depends on your patient care needs and preferences as well as what works best for your workflows. But, in all cases, a complete system can be designed for mobile bedside identification, tracking, and error-proofed matching—all with Zebra printers, labels, and data capture devices purpose-built for healthcare needs.

Find the Right Solutions for Bedside Identification, Labeling and Tracking

To learn more about mobilizing, digitizing, and error-proofing your patient identification, specimen labeling, and medication matching at the patient’s bedside, contact us at DCM.

We’ll be happy to send you a complete guide to Zebra’s bedside printing, labeling, and tracking solutions and recommend the right options and configurations to meet your specific needs. We can also help you deploy and integrate these solutions in your patient care operations, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us for professional service, guidance and advice.