Correct patient identification and matching of adults in an ambulatory care setting: a best practice implementation project.

Introduction: Ambulatory care settings are at high risk for errors when identifying patients and matching them to their intended care.

Objective: The objective of this project was to improve correct and consistent patient identification and matching to their intended care by nurses in ambulatory care settings.

Methods: The seven-phase JBI Evidence Implementation Framework was used to guide this project. JBI tools were used to audit current practices and implement best practices in four ambulatory care units. The implementation plan included a baseline audit and two follow-up audits. Feedback was obtained through interviews with ambulatory care nursing staff, educational sessions were conducted for nursing staff, and unit guidelines were developed.

Results: In the baseline audit, compliance with best practice criteria for patient matching and identification was below 62% for 7/13 criteria. After conducting education sessions and other strategies, 1/3 pre- and post-clinical intervention criteria improved in compliance, while 2 were unchanged. For blood product administration criteria, 2/5 improved, 1 was unchanged, and 2 were lower than baseline. Nurses' education in patient identification procedures improved (1/1) and knowing where to access relevant policies remained unchanged at 100%. Criteria for patients knowing the importance of patient identification (2/2) and the identification band following national standards (1/1) improved from baseline.

Conclusions: The results support the use of education sessions and infrastructure changes to promote and sustain change in evidence-based practice in ambulatory care units. Not all criteria improved, and the audit team identified strategies to improve the implementation of evidence-based practice in ambulatory care units.

Spanish abstract: http://links.lww.com/IJEBH/A275.