Clasp Alert ID Band Trial Evaluation
Connie Spykerman, RN, MBA, CNO
Evelyn Barber, RN, BSN
Los Robles Regional Medical Center
Thousand Oaks Surgical Hospital Campus

OBJECTIVE
A pilot study to determine the feasibility and utility of Clasp Alert ID bands to ensure proper patient identification and identify patient safety concerns during inpatient and outpatient hospital stays.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
The Nursing Evidence Based Practice and Research Committee of Los Robles and Medical Center in collaboration with the Patient Safety Committee requested a trial of the Clasp Alert ID band to evaluate feasibility of adoption. Evaluation of ease of application, ease of identification of patient status, patient comfort, and pressure or skin irritability.
RESEARCH
Safety has been a major concern in the healthcare setting across the country. With the advent of the 20008 National Patient Safety goals, a national initiative to standardize Color-coded wristbands is underway. With the growing utilization of traveling nurses across the country, in December 2006 the Colorado Foundation for Medical Care, the Colorado Health and Hospital Association and the Colorado Nurses Association in collaboration with the Western Region Alliance for Patient Safety conducted a multi-state regional initiative to standardize patient wristbands in hospitals.
The workgroups from this multi-state region selected standard colors with the following recommendations that hospitals adopt: DNR- Do Not Resuscitate as the color PURPLE, Fall Risk Alert designation as YELLOW, Allergy Alert designation as RED. The CFMC and the multi-state regional workgroups are just one example of the national initiative to standardize color-coded wristbands to increase patient safety (Colorado Nurse, page 17, 2006). The result was regional standardized color-coded wristbands.
In November of 2006, The Missouri Center for Patient Safety conducted a survey of Missouri hospitals and nursing homes that identified 92% of hospital respondents used colored wristbands with only a few responses from nursing homes. 21 different colors designated 21 different clinical conditions. For example, the color yellow meant nine different conditions. Red designated seven conditions. The Center revealed this topic received national attention when the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting System issued a patient Safety advisory. A nurse placed a yellow wristband that designated “restricted extremity,” on a patient. The hospital designated yellow for “do not resuscitate.” Resuscitation was delayed when this patient arrested. An astute staff member recognized the problem and resuscitated the patient. The nurse that initially placed the wristband worked at a local hospital where yellow was designated for “restricted extremity. “ The use of text on the wristbands varied widely, thus, increasing risk to patient safety (Missouri State Board of Nursing, May, June, and July 2007).
METHOD
A five-question RN survey to evaluate the color-coded Clasp Alert ID band system. The survey focused on patient safety concerns associated with [patient identification including, ease of application of patient status, comfort for patient, noted skin pressure or irritability and recommendation of the product. Additionally, a five question patient survey for the patient to evaluate the Clasp Alert band system. The survey focused on patient comfort including; ease of wearing during hospital stay, hindrance of movement, weight, difference between current band without the clasp, and recommendation of the product. The patients completed surveys and the nurses each time a patient with identified patient safety concern, was given a band with the Clasp Alert ID band system during the four-week study period from December 15, 2013 to January 15, 2014.
EVALUATION PLAN
The evaluation of the color-coded Clasp Alert ID band was conducted at the Thousand Oaks Surgical Hospital Campus. Critical patient safety concerns such as, allergies, code status, fall and isolation status were identified during the trial. Inpatient and outpatient populations were banded with two bands. The first band was the ID band currently in use at LRHMC with color-coded paper dots added to identify the patient safety concerns. The second band was the ID currently in use at LRHMC with color-coded Clasp Alerts added to the band to identify the patient safety concerns. Each patient was asked to complete an evaluation form to evaluate ease of wearing them during their hospital stay including their level of comfort, hindrance of movement, weight, difference between the two bands, and, recommendation of the product.
Each nurse having contact with a patient wearing a Clasp Alert band was asked to complete an evaluation to address ease of application, identification of patient status, comfort for the patient, noted skin pressure or irritability and recommendation of the product.
Supply chain purchased the product for evaluation purpose and included 4 patient safety identification clasp; Allergy Alert RED, DNR PURPLE, Fall YELLOW and Isolation GREEN. The trial began on December 15, 2013 and continued through January 15, 2014.
EDUCATION
Patient identification and patient safety education was provided to the Thousand Oaks Surgical Hospital campus Registered Nurses in the Pre-op, OR, PACU and Inpatient areas. The nurses received a demonstration of proper use of the product and completion the survey tools.
RESULTS

RECOMMENDATIONS

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

REFERENCES