Second victims: Preventing adverse events with biometric identification
The use of biometric technology, such as fingerprints or facial recognition, ensures accurate patient identification, reducing errors and preventing healthcare professionals from facing emotional and legal consequences, protecting them from becoming “second victims.”
The primary goal of healthcare is to provide effective medical care, but it still faces many challenges that result in harmful errors for patients. Among these challenges, one of the most critical is the safe identification of patients, a fundamental pillar to ensure that each individual receives the right treatment according to his or her specific medical history and needs.
We invite you to read the following articles on patient safety for more information:
Identification failures not only put patients’ lives at risk, as they are the first victims, but also deeply affect healthcare workers, who, by facing the emotional and legal consequences of these incidents, become “second victims”.
These professionals, even without acting intentionally, experience intense feelings of guilt, anxiety, sadness, shame, and anger, which affect their personal well-being and job performance. Additionally, the possibility of facing legal responsibilities, such as civil or criminal lawsuits, worsens their situation and increases the fear of reporting the error. In extreme cases, the emotional burden and stress can lead them to question their competence and, in some cases, to leave the profession.
As we have detailed in previous articles, there are multiple factors that can cause errors in patient identification. Among the most common are problems with identification policies, which may be poorly defined, inadequately enforced or simply non-existent. Difficulties also persist with the use of ineffective traditional methods, such as identification wristbands, which are often absent, contain erroneous data, are poorly designed, or are inappropriate for certain patients, such as neonates. In addition, in the admission process, the lack of complete data, inefficient computer systems and the absence of photos to verify patient identity further complicate the process.
Other factors contributing to these errors include the similarity of names and surnames, the physical proximity of patients with adjacent medical records, and labeling or communication errors between medical teams. Staff distraction and fatigue also play a significant role, increasing the risk of mistakes. Finally, technological issues, such as duplicate medical records and barcode errors, further raise the likelihood of errors.
Biometric solutions for accurate patient identification
To ensure accurate and secure identification of patients and thus avoid “second victims”, the most effective solution is the implementation of biometric technologies. Biometrics ensures the veracity and accuracy of patient identity based on unique physical characteristics that are unambiguous.
Upon arriving at the hospital, patients can be identified by their fingerprints, iris, or facial recognition at the admission area. Subsequently, healthcare staff verifies the patient’s identity using the same biometric technology before performing any medical procedures. This process not only integrates seamlessly with hospital software but also eliminates many common identification errors, such as manual data entry mistakes and confusion caused by similar names.
The adoption of this technology has proven to increase the confidence of healthcare personnel in the processes, allowing them to work with greater peace of mind and efficiency, and reducing the risk of becoming “second victims”.
Find out how Verázial ID Health can help you ensure patient identification.
Contact us for a demonstration and/or personalized study.
Second victims: Preventing adverse events with biometric identification
The use of biometric technology, such as fingerprints or facial recognition, ensures accurate patient identification, reducing errors and preventing healthcare professionals from facing emotional and legal consequences, protecting them from becoming “second victims.”
The primary goal of healthcare is to provide effective medical care, but it still faces many challenges that result in harmful errors for patients. Among these challenges, one of the most critical is the safe identification of patients, a fundamental pillar to ensure that each individual receives the right treatment according to his or her specific medical history and needs.
We invite you to read the following articles on patient safety for more information:
Identification failures not only put patients’ lives at risk, as they are the first victims, but also deeply affect healthcare workers, who, by facing the emotional and legal consequences of these incidents, become “second victims”.
These professionals, even without acting intentionally, experience intense feelings of guilt, anxiety, sadness, shame, and anger, which affect their personal well-being and job performance. Additionally, the possibility of facing legal responsibilities, such as civil or criminal lawsuits, worsens their situation and increases the fear of reporting the error. In extreme cases, the emotional burden and stress can lead them to question their competence and, in some cases, to leave the profession.
As we have detailed in previous articles, there are multiple factors that can cause errors in patient identification. Among the most common are problems with identification policies, which may be poorly defined, inadequately enforced or simply non-existent. Difficulties also persist with the use of ineffective traditional methods, such as identification wristbands, which are often absent, contain erroneous data, are poorly designed, or are inappropriate for certain patients, such as neonates. In addition, in the admission process, the lack of complete data, inefficient computer systems and the absence of photos to verify patient identity further complicate the process.
Other factors contributing to these errors include the similarity of names and surnames, the physical proximity of patients with adjacent medical records, and labeling or communication errors between medical teams. Staff distraction and fatigue also play a significant role, increasing the risk of mistakes. Finally, technological issues, such as duplicate medical records and barcode errors, further raise the likelihood of errors.
Biometric solutions for accurate patient identification
To ensure accurate and secure identification of patients and thus avoid “second victims”, the most effective solution is the implementation of biometric technologies. Biometrics ensures the veracity and accuracy of patient identity based on unique physical characteristics that are unambiguous.
Upon arriving at the hospital, patients can be identified by their fingerprints, iris, or facial recognition at the admission area. Subsequently, healthcare staff verifies the patient’s identity using the same biometric technology before performing any medical procedures. This process not only integrates seamlessly with hospital software but also eliminates many common identification errors, such as manual data entry mistakes and confusion caused by similar names.
The adoption of this technology has proven to increase the confidence of healthcare personnel in the processes, allowing them to work with greater peace of mind and efficiency, and reducing the risk of becoming “second victims”.
Find out how Verázial ID Health can help you ensure patient identification.
Contact us for a demonstration and/or personalized study.
Second victims: Preventing adverse events with biometric identification
The use of biometric technology, such as fingerprints or facial recognition, ensures accurate patient identification, reducing errors and preventing healthcare professionals from facing emotional and legal consequences, protecting them from becoming “second victims.”
The primary goal of healthcare is to provide effective medical care, but it still faces many challenges that result in harmful errors for patients. Among these challenges, one of the most critical is the safe identification of patients, a fundamental pillar to ensure that each individual receives the right treatment according to his or her specific medical history and needs.
We invite you to read the following articles on patient safety for more information:
Identification failures not only put patients’ lives at risk, as they are the first victims, but also deeply affect healthcare workers, who, by facing the emotional and legal consequences of these incidents, become “second victims”.
These professionals, even without acting intentionally, experience intense feelings of guilt, anxiety, sadness, shame, and anger, which affect their personal well-being and job performance. Additionally, the possibility of facing legal responsibilities, such as civil or criminal lawsuits, worsens their situation and increases the fear of reporting the error. In extreme cases, the emotional burden and stress can lead them to question their competence and, in some cases, to leave the profession.
As we have detailed in previous articles, there are multiple factors that can cause errors in patient identification. Among the most common are problems with identification policies, which may be poorly defined, inadequately enforced or simply non-existent. Difficulties also persist with the use of ineffective traditional methods, such as identification wristbands, which are often absent, contain erroneous data, are poorly designed, or are inappropriate for certain patients, such as neonates. In addition, in the admission process, the lack of complete data, inefficient computer systems and the absence of photos to verify patient identity further complicate the process.
Other factors contributing to these errors include the similarity of names and surnames, the physical proximity of patients with adjacent medical records, and labeling or communication errors between medical teams. Staff distraction and fatigue also play a significant role, increasing the risk of mistakes. Finally, technological issues, such as duplicate medical records and barcode errors, further raise the likelihood of errors.
Biometric solutions for accurate patient identification
To ensure accurate and secure identification of patients and thus avoid “second victims”, the most effective solution is the implementation of biometric technologies. Biometrics ensures the veracity and accuracy of patient identity based on unique physical characteristics that are unambiguous.
Upon arriving at the hospital, patients can be identified by their fingerprints, iris, or facial recognition at the admission area. Subsequently, healthcare staff verifies the patient’s identity using the same biometric technology before performing any medical procedures. This process not only integrates seamlessly with hospital software but also eliminates many common identification errors, such as manual data entry mistakes and confusion caused by similar names.
The adoption of this technology has proven to increase the confidence of healthcare personnel in the processes, allowing them to work with greater peace of mind and efficiency, and reducing the risk of becoming “second victims”.
Find out how Verázial ID Health can help you ensure patient identification.
Contact us for a demonstration and/or personalized study.
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