ENHANCING COMPLIANCE WITH ELECTRONIC PATIENT AND SPECIMEN IDENTIFICATION IN A PEDIATRIC TERTIARY HOSPITAL

A QUALITY IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVE

Background
Errors in patient and specimen identification during ABO and Rh typing collection are critical causes of transfusion-related adverse events. “Wrong blood in tube” (WBIT) incidents remain a preventable risk in clinical practice despite existing verification systems. This quality improvement initiative aimed to enhance compliance with Electronic Positive Patient Identification (ePPID) and Positive Accession Identification (PAID) during specimen collection by non-phlebotomy staff in a pediatric tertiary hospital.
Methods
A Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model was implemented over two cycles. Interventions included development of a real-time compliance dashboard, equipment calibration, competency-based education, and introduction of governance measures such as a “hard stop” policy for non-compliant specimens. Baseline data, surveys, and root cause analyses guided the actions.
Results
Initial ePPID/PAID compliance among non-phlebotomy staff was 59.7%. Following targeted interventions, compliance increased to 97.0% for ABO/Rh specimens. The “hard stop” policy significantly reduced identification errors, while e-learning modules improved staff competency. The multidisciplinary taskforce and data-driven monitoring ensured sustainability and integration across clinical units.
Conclusion
A structured, multidisciplinary quality improvement approach effectively enhanced compliance with electronic patient and specimen identification. Combining technology, governance, and education fostered a sustainable safety culture in transfusion medicine, reducing the risk of WBIT events.