Using Barcode Labels in Healthcare to Help Patients
Moving to a barcode tracking system immediately streamlines the administrative side of patient care.
• Patients will be issued a barcode wristband upon admission
• This barcode both provides identification for the patient and connects them to their electronic medical information
• When medication needs to be administered, a quick scan of both the wristband barcode and barcode label on the medication will immediately     verify prescription and treatment information

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In short, incorporating barcode labels in healthcare routines helps ensure the five rights of patient medication safety: providing the right dosage of the right medication at the right time to the right patient via the right route.

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Seamless adoption and ease of use
When barcode technologies are implemented, healthcare professionals’ focus should be on patient care, not learning the new technology. For that to happen, the solutions need to fit seamlessly into the healthcare practice’s existing software solutions and infrastructure. Barcode solutions can use either thermal or laser printers. Zebra Technologies recently acquired Laser Band to increase the company’s healthcare printing offerings for customers. This is a great example of how a vendor can provide hospitals and healthcare practices with a choice of thermal or laser printers to help create seamless adoption. Hospitals that have already invested in laser printers can easily implement barcode tracking systems, or slowly adopt thermal printers.

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With any technology implementation comes the assumption that the process will be complicated and have a learning curve. However, one hospital administrator referenced how easy the barcode printers and scanners are to use, even for the least technology-savvy nurses. Barcode printers are typically small, durable and even mobile. The process of changing cartridges is extremely intuitive and quick. Also, the day-to-day benefits are immediate and substantial, which contributes to the fast adoption process as doctors and nurses want to use the technology.

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