Georgetown University Hospital's (GUH) blood bank is conducting a pilot study
to compare how bar code and radio frequency identification (RFID) technology
can improve transfusion safety.
GUH's Outpatient Infusion Service has used bar code solutions from Precision
Dynamics Corp. for two years to double check and verify blood transfusions.
With the new pilot, GUH wants to learn whether RFID solutions can increase
the efficiency and reliability of transfusion safety in instances where bar
code ID isn't as effective.
The Washington, D.C.-based hospital will use Smart Band RFID wristbands from
Precision Dynamics for the test.
"Bar code identification solutions are very valuable to institutions
like GUH," said Dr. S. Gerald Sandler, director of transfusion medicine
at Georgetown. "However, RFID technology offers the promise of improving
the efficiency and reliability of conventional double checks for matching
blood transfusions with the correct patient."
The Smart Band acts as a portable database that carries patient information
to be used and updated during a patient's stay.
"We expect this study to show that RFID solutions complement bar code
technologies and increase the efficiency and reliability of identifying patients,
their blood samples and their intended blood for transfusion," said Sandler.
The wrist band contains an embedded Texas Instruments' Tag-It RFID chip.
RFID labels will be printed and encoded using an R402 RFID printer encoder
from Zebra Technologies. AMTSystems PatientSafe Transfuse RFID and Transfuse
ID software system will also be used in the study.
The Food and Drug Administration recently announced rules
mandating machine-readable bar code labeling on both blood products and prescription
drugs administered at hospitals.
The initial phase of the study--which consists of laboratory reviews and
validation of the equipment--began on March 1. The research phase and clinical
implementation will begin two to three weeks after completion of the initial
phase. The study will evaluate and compare the effectiveness and efficiency
of bar code ID and RFID solutions during blood transfusions of 100 patients.
Nurses will provide feedback evaluating both technologies.
