Hospital Bracelets: Helpful or Hazardous?
Posted by
Amanda SchlagerSeptember 26, 2008 2:53 PMTags:
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Although the plastic bracelets hospitals adorn their patients with may be colorful, they are designed to indicate special patient conditions, rather than make a fashion statement.
The national movement to standardize the color-coded bracelet system used in hospitals started in New York. After an infamous Pennsylvania case in 2005 in which a nurse mistook a yellow wrist band for meaning “restricted extremity”, its meaning at another hospital at which she worked part-time, with what it meant at that hospital, D.N.R. or “Do Not Resuscitate.”. The potential for dangerous mix-ups such as this have pushed hospitals to standardize coding systems.
Over 20 states have embraced the color-coding system, which is also endorsed by the American Hospital Association.
Although this system sounds logical, some agencies have expressed concerns about the bracelets and patients’ privacy rights. The Joint Commission has referred to this practice as “branding patients by their end-of-life choices”. The Executive Vice President of the Continuing Care Leadership Coalition, Roxanne Tena-Nelson, suggests “strik[ing] a balance between the need for patient safety and accuracy and the whole privacy concern and sensitivity and compassion for the patient.”
Hospitals are also running into problems with bracelets patients bring from home, like the yellow Lance Armstrong “Livestrong” bracelet. While some hospitals request patients cut these bands off, a bracelet left on a patient’s wrist could create a confusing hazard.
If you are a diabetic, have allergies to certain medications, or have unique issues that would be vital at a time when you are unable to communicate to a health professional, you should consider purchasing an alert bracelet. Medic Alert is one company that makes such bracelets but you can order from many providers online.
A custom bracelet, usually made out of aluminum or silver (a material that can be engraved with personal information), is not likely to be confused at the hospital and can provide valuable, life-saving information in the event that you cannot communicate with healthcare providers. Furthermore, wearing an alert bracelet with the universal medic sign (large, red plus sign) can put a doctor on notice as to special conditions you may have. Should the doctor ignore the bracelet, and you are injured as a result, that could be evidence in a medical malpractice case.