Patient identification within a healthcare system: the role of radio frequency identification and bar code technologies

Healthcare enterprises require the ability to respond to rapidly changing circumstances. The increasing attention to patient safety and access to efficient health care services has bought about the adoption of new identification and sensor networks technologies. These technologies are being coupled to information systems to help clarify the complex nature of hospital environments. To reduce medical errors it is crucial to identify the correct procedure or medication to the matching recipient. Adverse drug events and medical errors are costly, not only to the hospital but also to the patient. It is important that the correct treatment is provided, in a timely manner to a health care patient, and this includes the ability to access and record pertinent information. The role of identification systems such as bar code or radio frequency identification technologies, is to enhance the positive identification of a patient in a healthcare environment. This paper proposes the integration of different protocols and technologies to strive to achieve the goal of zero misidentifications.