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New color-coded wristbands at UMHC help identify patient risks In March, University of Missouri Health Care patients began wearing new color-coded wristbands designed to alert caregivers to patients with specific health risks. University of Missouri Health Care was one of the leading health care organizations in Missouri to push for the statewide voluntary patient safety initiative. UMHC physicians and staff served on the leadership team charged with developing the standardized colored wristbands. Tim Holekamp, M.D., clinical assistant professor of ophthalmology at MU’s School of Medicine and chair of Columbia Regional Hospital’s quality assessment and risk management committee, initially raised the issue and concern about non-standardized colored wristbands in Missouri. A statewide survey by the Missouri Center for Patient Safety found that 90 percent of hospitals use colored wristbands as a way to identify important patient information. The same survey also revealed hospitals were using 21 different colors to designate 29 different clinical conditions. Holekamp chaired the Missouri Center for Patient Safety’s wristband stakeholder team. The group developed voluntary guidelines that were adopted by University of Missouri Health Care and more than 100 hospitals statewide. “We’re proud of our physicians’ and staff’s involvement in developing this important patient safety initiative,” said Les Hall, M.D., director of clinical effectiveness at University of Missouri Health Care. “These wristbands are another example of University of Missouri Health Care’s commitment to quality improvement. As a health-care organization we are always looking for new ways to improve the patient experience and the level of care administered at our hospitals.” University of Missouri Health Care adopted the Missouri Center for Patient Safety’s recommended guidelines and added two more colors as additional levels of protection for patients. The standardized colors include a red wristband to represent an allergy warning; a yellow wristband with the words “fall risk” to alert caregivers of patient’s risk of falling; a purple band to indicate do-not-attempt-resuscitation orders; a pink band with the words “limb alert,” to notify staff not to use a specific arm or leg for procedures such as drawing blood or checking blood pressure; and a blue band to designate limitations of treatment for patients who do not want to undergo certain medical treatments. “By adopting these standardized colors, we are eliminating any potential for confusion within our patient care staff,” said Hall. “Physicians and nurses traveling from hospital to hospital will recognize the colored wristbands and identify the patient’s medical needs.” Other University of Missouri Health Care staff members serving on the Missouri Center for Patient Safety’s leadership team include Judi Massey, R.N., quality improvement coordinator at Columbia Regional Hospital; Keith Hampton, M.S.N., coordinator of professional practice and nursing standards at University of Missouri Health Care; and Doug Wakefield, Ph.D., director of the University of Missouri Center for Health Care Quality. University of Missouri Health Care’s system of hospitals, clinics and telehealth sites employs approximately 6,000 clinicians, scientists, educators and other health professionals. The system includes University Hospital and Clinics, Children’s Hospital, Columbia Regional Hospital, Ellis Fischel Cancer Center and University Physicians, all based in Columbia, Mo. The health system also includes a long-term acute care facility, Missouri Rehabilitation Center, in Mount Vernon, Mo. Academic affiliates of the health system include the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine, Sinclair School of Nursing and School of Health Professions. Other affiliates of the health system include Rusk Rehabilitation Center in Columbia, Mo.; Capital Region Medical Center in Jefferson City, Mo., and Cooper County Memorial Hospital in Boonville, Mo. |
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