Missouri Center for Patient Safety creates new bracelet system

The color-coded bracelets help identify which treatments are needed for which patients.

By Brittany Dixon

Published Oct. 3, 2008

Missouri hospitals united with the Missouri Center for Patient Safety to create color-coded bracelets to distinguish patients' wants and needs.

Banding Together for patient safety started in March 2008 and so far 100 Missouri hospitals have joined the effort. These hospitals make up more than half of Missouri hospitals. Missouri is the eighth state to implement the colored bands and the first in the Midwest.

Under the Banding Together standards, all the colors used are the same for each hospital that participates. Before the standardized wristbands, the MOCPS found there were nine different colors with various meanings. Now the colors will be the same throughout state hospitals that are participating. Along with the colors, the bands will have text on them. For example, do not resuscitate will have the letters "DNR."

University Hospital is among the hospitals that use the bracelets. University Health Care coordinator Keith Hampton was involved in the process of standardizing the wristbands for the state of Missouri.

"I think it really is a major improvement in making sure that we're keeping our patients safe and having a standard practice nationwide is a change in the health care culture as well," Hampton said.

He said the color-coded bracelets make it easier for nurses who work at different hospitals throughout the state not to make an error when treating a patient.

"It is a visual queue that is consistent and provides the health care professional with information up front so that the same questions are not asked repeatedly," Hampton said.

Medical school professor Tim Holekamp, first mentioned the issue because he was concerned about the non-standardized colored wristbands in Missouri. He eventually became chairman of the MOCPS and helped develop the guidelines that were adopted by over 100 hospitals across the state.

The hospital also added two new colors to accommodate their specific health system. A blue bracelet means the patient requested limitations of treatments and a pink band designates a limb alert. That means that caretakers should not use a certain limb for drawing blood or checking for blood pressure.

"It's a way of communicating through the staff," Children's Hosptial house manager Maggie Woodson said.

Although these standards are meant to be beneficial, The New York Times reported the bands are creating some caution. The Joint Commission, which is America's leading hospital accreditation agency told the Times children would often trade them with other children.

Hampton said the bands used at the University Hospital could only be adjusted or removed by caretakers. Hampton said there have been no complaints in regards to the bands, and they have received positive feedback by patients. He said they explain to the patients why they use them, and they understand.

Now there are 20 states that use the MOCPS three standard colors. There are no mandates or laws requiring hospitals to use color-coded wristbands, but the MOCPS highly recommends hospitals use them for the safety of patients and the prevention of errors.

Hampton said the hospital will continue to work closely with the MOCPS to maintain the nationally recognized color-coded wristband system. The MOCPS is always working to improve the use of the wristbands by doing follow-ups every six months and taking suggestions from the hospital staff.