Patient identification bands are easy, right? A patient checks in, your admissions team prints and applies the band, and then it’s on to see the clinicians. In reality, patient identification bands play a key role in patient safety and can have a significant impact on your bottom line. Here are three steps to help find the best choice for your facility in the short and long term.
Step One: Take Stock of Where You Are Today
There are two key things to note when evaluating your current needs: patient feedback scores and your current printer technology. Firstly, dig into your patient feedback scores. Uncomfortable wristbands could be dragging down your ratings. Since every patient wears a wristband, it’s important to consider patient comfort. Simultaneously, you need identification bands that print correctly and won’t smudge, so your clinicians can provide the proper care.
When patient comfort is your top priority, the direct thermal SensaBand is your best bet. Made of a soft Tyvek material, the SensaBand won’t scratch or irritate your patients’ skin. While the SensaBand is a smart choice, your facility will need to have direct thermal printers. If your facility uses laser printers, you can consider another option in the short term.
Related: Thermal Printers in Healthcare: An Overview of Best Uses, Considerations, and Maintenance
If the individual cost of wristbands is your top concern, regardless of related or hidden costs, laser identifications bands may an excellent choice. In fact, our most popular wristband is 0.75×8.25 Laser Wristband with 20 labels. Many facilities already have laser printers, and this combination sheet allows you to print the patient wristbands and labels at the same time.
If your facility already using laser identification bands, it’s easy to convert to Caresfield!
Step Two: Evaluate the Total Cost of Identification Bands
To adequately plan for the future, make sure you compile the total cost of your patient identification bands. There is the hard cost of the band itself. And then if you use laser printers add toner costs. Next you can add in the cost of leasing printers and maintenance. Finally, add in the costs of misidentified patients. This can include uncompensated care and potentially patient safety consequences1.
This information will give you a picture of your total wristband spend. Think about all the SKUs you currently order and your annual patient volume. Is there any waste with your current patient identification system?
In addition, you’ll also need to know what your current contract status is. Some healthcare facilities have entered long-term deals with printer vendors, like Zebra. As a licensed Zebra provider Caresfield can certainly supply Zebra cartridges and printers. We can provide a competitive quote for these products, but above all we’d like to set you up for long-term success with the solution that’s best for your facility and your patients.
What’s more, you’ll have to consider your current GPO options. A lower physical price per band is nice, but you also need to factor in the benefits of GPO compliance, which can include rebates, free shipping and other benefits.
It can be challenging to pull all this data together, but in the long run it will help you make the best decision for your facility.
Step Three: Prepare for the Future
Now that you’ve compiled all the data, you may have discovered it’s time to switch printer and identification band technology. This can be a time-consuming process. If you decide the cost of switching to direct thermal bands is ultimately cheaper, like many facilities do, you’ll likely need buy-in from multiple departments before moving forward.
Caresfield makes this process easy:
- Expert advice – we help thousands of healthcare facilities find the best value
- Free samples – your nurses and admissions team can field test our products
In summary, Caresfield can supply bands that mirror what you currently use and help you plan for a future where you supply the best patient care at the lowest possible cost.
Sources
- Butler, Mary. “Show Me Some ID: Tips for Trusting Identity in the Era of Cybercrime and Fraud.” Journal of AHIMA 89, no.6 (June 2018): 24-27.
