Two Patient Identifiers - Understanding The Requirements

06 May.,2024

 

Two Patient Identifiers - Understanding The Requirements



Intent
The intent of the requirement is to reliably identify the individual as the person for whom the service or treatment is intended and to match the service or treatment to that individual. The glossary of the accreditation manual defines a patient identifier as "Information directly associated with an individual that reliably identifies the individual as the person for whom the service or treatment is intended. Acceptable identifiers may be the individual's name, an assigned identification number, telephone number, date of birth or other person-specific identifier."  Use of a room number would NOT be considered an example of a unique patient identifier. 

Additional examples of identifiers may include, but not limited to: 
  • An assigned identification number (e.g. medical record number, etc).
  • Telephone number or another person-specific identifier
  • Electronic identification technology coding, such as bar coding or RFID, that includes two or more person-specific identifiers 
While standardization of the identifiers used is beneficial, there are settings and situations when variations may need to be employed. For example, in an outpatient setting where ID bands may not be used as an information source, an infant or toddler, an unresponsive patient, etc. The organization determines how accurate patient identification will be completed in these types of situations.   The two patient identifiers should be consistent within each setting, not just whatever the individual practitioner or staff person wishes to use

Armbands
An armband in and of itself is not a patient identifier, rather an example of a source where patient identification information may be located. It is the person-specific information that is the "identifier," not the medium on which that information resides.
The Joint Commission does not require the use of arm bands. However, when armbands are used as a means of conveying patient/resident identification information, the band must be attached to the patient/resident at all times. Simply placing it on the bedside table or taping it to the bed would not be acceptable. 

Non-communicative Patients/Residents
For those individuals who are non-communicative or are confused, each organization determines what process will be used to safely identify these individuals.  Such expectations must be clearly communicated to staff, and should be based on promotion of individual safety, not convenience or workflow.

Applicability to Nutrition Services
At a minimum, the requirement applies whenever the patient/resident requires a special diet or the meal/snack that is being delivered is part of a special diet. To ensure consistency, organizations have found it easier to implement this requirement by applying it to all patients/residents receiving diets or snacks. 

Containers used for blood and other specimens
The intent of the goal is met when the patient is correctly identified using two identifiers and the containers are labeled with two identifiers in the presence of the patient.  In practice, it is relatively common to label a urine container prior to giving it to the patient for collection, as long as  the individual collecting the specimen verifies the identity of the patient using two patient identifiers and then labels the container while in the presence of the patient.  Labeled containers which are not used due to failure of the patient to provide a urine specimen must be IMMEDIATELY discarded.  The practice of pre-labeling blood tubes prior to seeing the patient and matching them at the time of collection is not acceptable.

Use of temporary names
Under some circumstances, a patient's identity may not be able to be verified and a temporary means of identification must be used. An example of such circumstances may include an injured, unresponsive patient presenting to the emergency department.  Although not addressed in the requirements, a temporary "name" (e.g., John Doe) and an emergency department number or medical record number may be assigned.
These identifiers could then be used to identify the patient and match against specimen labels, medication orders, blood product labels, etc. In this process, formal identification of the patient should occur as soon as possible and once confirmed this identifying information should be used instead of the temporary identification.  Ultimately, the organization determines how such scenarios should be managed. 

Use of an alias to protect anonymity
There are no Joint Commission standards that address this practice. Organizations should evaluate risks associated with this practice. However, if an organization implements use of an alias, two patient identifiers must still be used, as defined by policy.
 

Any examples are for illustrative purposes only.The intent of the requirement is to reliably identify the individual as the person for whom the service or treatment is intended and to match the service or treatment to that individual. The glossary of the accreditation manual defines a patient identifier as "Information directly associated with an individual that reliably identifies the individual as the person for whom the service or treatment is intended. Acceptable identifiers may be the individual's name, an assigned identification number, telephone number, date of birth or other person-specific identifier." Use of a room number would NOT be considered an example of a unique patient identifier.Additional examples of identifiers may include, but not limited to:While standardization of the identifiers used is beneficial, there are settings and situations when variations may need to be employed. For example, in an outpatient setting where ID bands may not be used as an information source, an infant or toddler, an unresponsive patient, etc. The organization determines how accurate patient identification will be completed in these types of situations. The two patient identifiers should be consistent within each setting, not just whatever the individual practitioner or staff person wishes to useAn armband in and of itself is not a patient identifier, rather an example of a source where patient identification information may be located. It is the person-specific information that is the "identifier," not the medium on which that information resides.The Joint Commission does not require the use of arm bands. However, when armbands are used as a means of conveying patient/resident identification information, the band must be attached to the patient/resident at all times. Simply placing it on the bedside table or taping it to the bed would not be acceptable.For those individuals who are non-communicative or are confused, each organization determines what process will be used to safely identify these individuals. Such expectations must be clearly communicated to staff, and should be based on promotion of individual safety, not convenience or workflow.At a minimum, the requirement applies whenever the patient/resident requires a special diet or the meal/snack that is being delivered is part of a special diet. To ensure consistency, organizations have found it easier to implement this requirement by applying it to all patients/residents receiving diets or snacks.The intent of the goal is met when the patient is correctly identified using two identifiers and the containers are labeled with two identifiers in the presence of the patient. In practice, it is relatively common to label a urine container prior to giving it to the patient for collection, as long as the individual collecting the specimen verifies the identity of the patient using two patient identifiers and then labels the container while in the presence of the patient. Labeled containers which are not used due to failure of the patient to provide a urine specimen must be IMMEDIATELY discarded. The practice of pre-labeling blood tubes prior to seeing the patient and matching them at the time of collection is not acceptable.Under some circumstances, a patient's identity may not be able to be verified and a temporary means of identification must be used. An example of such circumstances may include an injured, unresponsive patient presenting to the emergency department. Although not addressed in the requirements, a temporary "name" (e.g., John Doe) and an emergency department number or medical record number may be assigned.These identifiers could then be used to identify the patient and match against specimen labels, medication orders, blood product labels, etc. In this process, formal identification of the patient should occur as soon as possible and once confirmed this identifying information should be used instead of the temporary identification. Ultimately, the organization determines how such scenarios should be managed.There are no Joint Commission standards that address this practice. Organizations should evaluate risks associated with this practice. However, if an organization implements use of an alias, two patient identifiers must still be used, as defined by policy.

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Food labels

Nutrition information labels can help you choose between products and keep a check on the amount of foods you're eating that are high in fat, salt and added sugars.

Most pre-packed foods have a nutrition information label on the back or side of the packaging.

You can use nutrition information labels to help you eat a balanced diet.

If you're choosing foods and drinks that are high in fat, salt and sugar, have these less often and in small amounts.

Most people in the UK eat and drink too many calories, too much fat, sugar and salt, and not enough fruit, vegetables, oily fish or fibre.

Nutrition information labels on the back or side of packaging

Most pre-packed foods have a nutrition information label on the back or side of the packaging. These labels must include the amount of energy in kilojoules (kJ) and kilocalories (kcal), usually referred to as calories.

They must also include information on fat, saturates (saturated fat), carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt. They may also include other nutrients, like fibre.

All nutrition information is provided per 100 grams or per 100 millilitres and sometimes per portion of the food or drink.

How do I know if a food is high in fat, saturated fat, sugar or salt?

There are guidelines to tell you if a food is high in fat, saturated fat, salt, sugar or not.

These are:

Total fat

High: more than 17.5g of fat per 100g
Low: 3g of fat or less per 100g

Saturated fat

High: more than 5g of saturated fat per 100g
Low: 1.5g of saturated fat or less per 100g

Sugars

High: more than 22.5g of total sugars per 100g
Low: 5g of total sugars or less per 100g

Salt

High: more than 1.5g of salt per 100g (or 0.6g sodium)
Low: 0.3g of salt or less per 100g (or 0.1g sodium)

For example, if you're trying to cut down on saturated fat, eat fewer foods that have more than 5g of saturated fat per 100g.

Different criteria are used to determine whether a drink is high or low in fat, saturated fat, sugar or salt.

Some nutrition information labels on the back or side of packaging also provide information about reference intakes.

Nutrition labels on the front of packaging

Many supermarkets and food manufacturers now also highlight the energy, fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt content on the front of the packaging, alongside the reference intake for each of these.

This is very useful when you want to compare different food and drink products at a glance.

Front-of-pack labels usually give a quick guide to:

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  • energy (calories)
  • fat content
  • saturated fat content
  • sugars content
  • salt content

These labels provide information on the number of grams of fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt, and the amount of energy (in kJ and kcal) in a serving or portion of the food or drink. It may also provide the amount of kJ and kcal per 100g or per 100ml.

But be aware that the manufacturer's idea of a portion may be different from yours.

Some front-of-pack nutrition labels also provide information about reference intakes.

Red, amber and green colour coding

Credit:

NHSD/Annabel King

Some front-of-pack nutrition labels use red, amber and green colour coding.

Colour-coded nutritional information tells you at a glance if the food has high, medium or low amounts of fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt:

  • red means high
  • amber means medium
  • green means low

In general, a food or drink that has all or mostly green on the label is a healthier choice.

Amber means neither high nor low, so you can eat foods with all or mostly amber on the label most of the time.

But any red on the label means the food is high in fat, saturated fat, salt or sugars, and you should limit your intake of these foods and drinks.

Try to eat these foods less often and in small amounts.

Reference intakes

Nutrition labels can also provide information on how a particular food or drink product fits into your daily recommended diet.

Reference intakes are guidelines about the approximate amount of particular nutrients and energy required for a healthy diet.

Ingredients list

Pre-packed food products must have a list of ingredients with allergens highlighted on the packaging or an attached label.

The ingredients list can also help you work out how healthy the product is.

Ingredients must be listed in descending order of weight, so the main ingredients in the packaged food always come first.

That means that if the first few ingredients are high-fat ingredients, such as cream, butter or oil, then the food in question is likely to be a high-fat food.

Food shopping tips

You're standing in the supermarket aisle looking at 2 similar products, trying to decide which to choose. You want to make the healthier choice, but you're in a hurry.

If you're buying pre-packaged or ready meals, check to see if there's a nutrition label on the front of the pack, and then see how your choices stack up when it comes to the amount of energy, fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt.

If the nutrition labels use colour coding, you'll often find a mixture of red, amber and green.

So when you're choosing between similar products, try to go for more greens and ambers, and fewer reds, if you want to make a healthier choice.

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