LRMC Joins MHA ‘Color-coded Wristband’ Initiative
09/21/2009
Improving patient safety – including reducing risks from injury or harm – is a major focus at Lapeer Regional Medical Center (LRMC). In another step to ensure the safety of our patients, LRMC has joined a Michigan Health & Hospital Association-led initiative to standardize the color coding of patient alert wristbands throughout healthcare facilities in Michigan.
The goal of the effort is to decrease the risk of such errors by standardizing the colors of three patient alert wristbands: allergy (red), fall risk (yellow) and do-not-resuscitate (purple) by July 1, 2009. In addition to the meaning associated with the specific color, the alert is pre-printed on the wristband to further reduce the chance for confusion when patients, physicians and nurses travel between different hospitals.
According to LRMC Chief Medical Officer Gary Salem, D.O., many hospitals already use color-coded patient wristbands to alert caregivers of certain patient risks. However, if hospitals use different colors for these alerts, caregivers who work in more than one facility may have difficulty responding consistently in the appropriate manner.
“The purpose of this project is to consistently and correctly communicate a patient wristband alert to a healthcare provider,” Dr. Salem said. “With a standardized method of communicating these risks, the potential for confusion when patients, physicians and nurses travel between different hospitals is greatly reduced.
MHA’s goal is a 100-percent participation rate from Michigan hospitals that use patient alert wristbands in their facilities by July 1. In addition, the MHA will work with the other state associations in the Great Lakes States to create a uniform strategy on this issue. As of October 2008, more than 25 states have adopted standardized patient alert wristband colors.
“At LRMC, we take the safety of our patients very seriously,” added LRMC President and CEO Bart Buxton. “Many state hospital associations have already engaged their hospitals in this effort – we appreciate the importance of this initiative in our state and we’re doing our part to support the MHA.”
The concept proposed in the initiative begins with patients being banded with the appropriate color upon admission, after changes in condition, or when new information is received during their hospital stay. There also is a staff education component to ensure verification of the patient’s color-coded alert wristband upon assessment, hand-off of care and facility transfer communication. Additionally, when a patient is admitted to the hospital, staff would remove any “social cause” colored wristbands or wristbands applied from another facility.
“As part of the broader communication, patients and family members would be educated about the purpose and meaning of the wristbands,” said LRMC Chief Nursing Officer Ken Sanger. “The patient’s chart (whiteboard, care plan, door signage, etc.) also would be updated with the same color coding.”
About Lapeer Regional Medical Center: LRMC is a 222-bed acute care hospital at 1375 N. Main Street in Lapeer. LRMC is the primary provider of health care services to Lapeer County and the surrounding area. LRMC offers a comprehensive range of
specialties and services to meet medical and surgical needs, along with an exceptional team of medical professionals that provide high quality, expert care. LRMC is a subsidiary of McLaren Health Care.
About McLaren Health Care: Recognized by Verispan as one of the top Integrated Health Networks in the nation, McLaren Health Care includes more than 150 locations, 15,000 employees and nearly 3,600 physicians. It includes eight regional hospitals: McLaren Regional Medical Center in Flint; Lapeer Regional Medical Center; Ingham Regional Medical Center and Ingham Regional Orthopedic Hospital in Lansing; Bay Regional Medical Center and Bay Special Care Hospital in Bay City; Mount Clemens Regional Medical Center in Mt. Clemens, POH Regional Medical Center in Pontiac, and minority ownership in Doctors’ Hospital of Michigan, also in Pontiac. McLaren Visiting Nurse & Hospice, an award-winning home health provider, and McLaren Health Plan, a top rated commercial and Medicaid HMO are also a part of the system. For more information, visit www.mclaren.org.
