Manual:
Home Care
Chapter:
National Patient Safety Goals NPSG
Topic:
Two Patient Identifiers - Home Care Services
What about the home care situation? Do we need to keep checking two identifiers each time we give a medication? NPSG.01.01.01
Any examples are for illustrative purposes only.
The goal is to ensure accurate identification of care recipients. In the home care setting, this is much easier and less prone to error than in other settings. Certainly, at the first encounter, the requirement for two identifiers is appropriate in a literal sense. Thereafter, and in any situation of continuing one-on-one care where the nurse "knows" the individual, one of the identifiers can be direct facial recognition. In the home, the correct address (an acceptable identifier when used in conjunction with another person-specific identifier) is also confirmed.
The goal is to ensure accurate identification of care recipients. In the home care setting, this is much easier and less prone to error than in other settings. Certainly, at the first encounter, the requirement for two identifiers is appropriate in a literal sense. Thereafter, and in any situation of continuing one-on-one care where the nurse "knows" the individual, one of the identifiers can be direct facial recognition. In the home, the correct address (an acceptable identifier when used in conjunction with another person-specific identifier) is also confirmed.
Last updated on November 01, 2021
First Published Date: April 11, 2016