Nearly 80 percent of Wisconsin's hospitals have now adopted standardized color-coded wristbands that identify different medical conditions. While this falls short of the Wisconsin Hospital Association's goal of bringing 100 percent of its hospitals on board with the system by March 1, it suggests that members recognize the urgency of the problem, WHA officials said.
The WHA isn't alone in attempting to standardize wristband color-codes. The American Hospital Association, as well as state associations in places like Colorado, Pennsylvania and Texas, have been pushing for years to get members to use standardized colors on voluntary patient-alert wristbands. These wristbands are typically used to alert physicians to allergies, fall risks and do-not-resuscitate orders.
To learn more about this trend:
- read this Modern Healthcare article (reg. req.)
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