A 200-bed hospital was concerned about mounting costs associated with medical errors. Medical errors can include things such as incorrect drug delivery, which can result in life-threatening consequences. Medical errors can also lead to improper patient procedure documentation resulting in inaccurate charges submitted for reimbursement by insurance companies. Bar code technology was implemented in the hospital on patient wristbands for accurate tracking procedures, and on pharmaceuticals and drugs to ensure proper delivery. After several months, a thorough analysis by hospital administrators revealed that medical errors had been significantly reduced. The hospital became aware that reimbursements from the insurance companies
were increasing as well, as all patient procedural costs became fully accounted for.
However, other problems were still occurring that bar coding technology alone was not fixing...
Read more to learn about other considerations involved with efficient barcode technology in the hospital.