Barcode Wristband Best Practices

How Get the Most from Your Wristband Deployment

There's plenty of case information proving that barcode wristbands best practices can help improve patient safety, boost quality of care, and achieve industry mandates. But, not all wristband deployments take advantage of the full value bar coding can deliver. Realizing the most benefit requires that the information provided on the wristband must afford easy readability, and deliver the correct information.

If you are looking at various patient ID solutions, you must take into account formatting considerations to ensure you make the optimal choice. This is especially crucial during the first 30 days of looking at a patient ID solution.

Bar Code Wristbands Help Drive Accuracy and Patient Safety

Bar code-based systems present a wide range of benefits to the healthcare industry. Caregivers can quickly identify patients and document associated treatments while enhancing the use of electronic health records (EHRs) to improve accuracy and completeness. Digitizing the entire point of care workflow helps ensure that clinicians have access to the information they need to deliver the safest, most effective care.

Bar code wristbands can improve the effectiveness of "Five Rights"—Right Patient, Right Medication, Right Dose, Right Time, and Right Method of Administration" checks. Doing so is essential for error-free medication administration and provides a platform to extend safeguards to other patient care activities.

Best Practices Help Drive Superior Results

Be sure implement best practices as soon as you choose the bar code wristbands, software applications, scanners, and other supporting infrastructure. By making best practices a core part of your workflow, you can certify that the correct processes become part of daily use. Ensuring patient safety requires that the patient continuously wears the wristband and that it remains readable for the duration of their hospital stay. The wristband must also uniquely identify the patient in a HIPAA-compliant manner.

Keep in mind that the process for designing, formatting, and producing bar code wristbands is not much different from traditional wristbands. To gain the most value, medical centers must ensure that wristbands contain the right information, meet industry mandates, and provide staff with an efficient solution. Following the best practices below will help you realize the full benefits that properly designed bar code wristbands can deliver:



Best Practice 1 – Repeat 2-D Bar Codes Across the Wristband
Best Practice 2 – Use Two Linear Bar Codes
Best Practice 3 – Include Human-readable Text
Best Practice 4 – Include the medical record number (MRN) and financial institution number (FIN)
Best Practice 5 – Include Check-digits for Security
Best Practice 6 – Include Print Time and Other Traceability Text
Best Practice 7 – Use Thermal Print-on-Demand Printers

Not only do barcode wristband best practices improve accuracy and patient safety. Following best practices also helps eliminate workarounds that often burden medical staff and create more steps to providing care, like having to move a patient's arm to scan an improperly formatted wristband.

Zebra Healthcare
Reproduced by Permission of Zebra Technologies
Article originally by Sabine Nickel

A1 Barcode Systems
For More Information: 800.798.2042x0

Barcode Labels for Hospitals in the Lab

What happens when a lab specimen label contains incorrect information? According to the study by the College of American Pathologists, over 160,000 adverse events in U.S. hospitals occur annually because of sample identification errors. When it comes to the health of our loved ones and us, such numbers are concerning.

Beyond the human toll, sample misidentification creates financial waste, with redraws, retesting and additional treatment costing the healthcare industry an estimated $200-$400 million per year. In this era of rising healthcare costs, every dollar has an impact on us all. Based on these numbers alone, it is clear that accurate sample labeling is vital to improve both the quality and cost of healthcare.

Accurate Labeling as Preventive Medicine

Healthcare providers have been aware of the impact of sample misidentification for decades, and continuously look for ways to improve their lab processes. Accurate sample labeling is the best defense against misidentification errors and their consequences. Labeling samples at the time they are drawn is a proven method to reduce errors.

However, to achieve accuracy, healthcare providers must overcome several challenges:

■Increasing information – A standardization of electronic healthcare records means the gathering, storing, and linking of more information throughout the patient care process. In addition, blood, tissue, and cellular therapy products must be compliant with the ISBT 128 identification standard of labeling—a process simply not attainable with manual labeling.
■Label sizing – A label provides the critical link between the physical specimen and all the information in the systems associated with it. Test tubes, slides, hermetically sealed containers all require specific label dimensions. Cost-effective label creation means using versatile printing technology that produces a label in the exact size for the task, and only when it is needed.
■Durability – Pathology labs often must store specimens for up to 20 years, which means labels must be durable enough to last and afford resistance to chemicals. In areas such as blood banking and cellular therapies, products undergo cryopreservation, then stored for an extended period before patient transplantation.
■Legibility – Medical centers have found that color-coded labels provide a visual indicator of what tests the lab must perform, saving time. Furthermore, because each sample and patient are unique, healthcare providers need a labeling solution that replaces preprinted labels with a system that create labels on demand, and that will not smudge when exposed to liquids.
The Prescription – Bar Code Labeling

Bar code labeling and sample tracking provides medical centers a proven way to reduce sample identification and data entry errors. What’s more, using bar codes to identify samples and scanning them to record transfers and support test result entry extends accuracy and error prevention benefits into laboratory operations. Automated data entry is highly accurate and eliminates errors, which improves patient safety. Bar code sample identification also saves time, allowing lab staff to focus on clinical rather than clerical activities—thus improving both the quality and cost of healthcare.

For more information about bar code labeling technologies in laboratories, see Lab Labeling Solutions.

Zebra Healthcare

Sabine N. of Zebra Technologies

CLEANER AND SAFER HOSPITALS - using Zebra Z-Band Patient Wristbands

Antimicrobial wristbands are used in hospitals to protect patients from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli and other forms of bacteria tied to hospital acquired infections.  Truth be told, hospital acquired infections present themselves more often then we’d like to imagine and patient wristbands are thought to be a source.  Wristbands are used for patient identification and are a vital part of a patient’s specifics regarding their admittance into the hospital.  However, it also can be a problem for the wristband is repeatedly touched and referenced throughout ones stay at a hospital. 

Zebra offers an award winning wristband which provides all essentials plus more.  Z-Band Direct wristbands have a special UV coating and are waterproof which provide durability.  More importantly these wristbands are antimicrobial coated and features an inorganic ionic silver coating which terminates microorganisms which makes contact with it.  These bands are not only easy to use but very durable in that they are water resistant which keeps the bar codes scannable and readable for up to 14 days. 

Hospital wristbands provide much needed information about a patient and are vital in providing the correct care to the correct individual.  Now with antimicrobial wristbands hospital staff and patients can feel more secure that infections are being handled rather then spread. 

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Z-Band Labels are available in HC100 Printer Cartridge Style as  Zebra HC100 Wristband Labels and are in desktop at Zebra Z-Band Desktop and tabletop(big Printers) at Zebra Z-Band Tabletop Labels.
Toll Free: 800.798.2042x0 if you need help or email us at sales@aonebar.com at A1 Barcode Systems.

Datalogic Gryphon - An Investment worth looking at

As time goes by, the use of 2D bar codes are being picked up by more and more companies. Reason being, the heightened levels of security with fewer printing issues coupled with the ability to incorporate greater detail and information in the code itself. With its decades of experience in scanning devices, Datalogic continue to push forward with imaging technology with the introduction of the Gryphon 4400 series of 2D area imagers.

These scanners go above and beyond requirements with features such as state of the art area imaging technology. Motionixi, which is a Datalogic exclusive, is a motion sensing technology which tells the scanner which mode to function in. For example, if it is being held in the hand and moving around the scanner mode automatically shifts to handheld. If it is placed in a stationary position and used it shifts to presentation mode automatically. The 4400 series is capable of reading 1D and 2D bar codes as well as read LCD monitors, cell and smart phones.

“The new Gryphon 4400 series of readers are evidence of Datalogic’s commitment to designing superior products with people in mind, stated Giulio Berzuini, Datalogic Scanning’s General Manager of Handheld Scanning, “Great reading performance, intuitive ease of use and many other user benefits are what make the Gryphon product series the peoples’ choice.”

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For More info go to Datalogic Gryphon or give us a call at
Toll Free: 800.798.2042x0 or
Email: sales@a1bar.com

Zebra HC100 WristBand Printer - Functions for a Wristband Printer

An ID printer that is affordable, easy to use, and has a mired of application possibilities for tracking people. The new Zebra HC100

from Zebra Technologies fits the mold for Hospital Admittance and POC-Point of Care, Events, Detainees, and Emergency Evacuations. These applications are only a few, but some of the most important needs we have for this printer.

Hospital Admission has long been a mixture of applications from laser fed sheets to large specialized printers. This material used in some of these systems for one is inferior to ZBAND Zebra Wristband labels. Simply putting some hand sanitizers on some of those wristbands can make the information disappear, but not on the ZBAND. The anti-microbial properties (only available on the Zebra ZBAND) are also a big selling feature with any Zebra Wristband printer or label. The printer is the real beauty though, with cartridge fed labels with different color strips to identify patient issues. A quick picture of the patient and barcode on the label will insure who the patient is, and what their special needs are throughout the POC process from medication to treatments.

Conventions and special events have many needs where a lanyard and ID badge are really not needed, and a wristband is preferred. The wristband is much less intrusive on the comfort of the attendee, and is much easier to scan for the person at the show. Even shows where the ID wristbands are not used to rescan, can be utilize for security and even ID. The level of the attendee can be indicated by the color of the wristband code.

Our of country detainees or Illegal Aliens have actually used this methodology with wristbands, and used barcode label property tags to identify a bag of belongings upon return to their country. Likewise in low security prisons, wristbands have been used on inmates for certain activities. It is also useful in some ways these are adhesive bands that will normally not stick twice, and can have a picture for ID purposes.

Emergency evacuations are ideal also for these. Using a PC or Handheld computer and software, this printer can print a barcode that is tied to a person's personal information. From here it can be utilized to track the evacuee's movements by scanning the wristband and then the bus, bed, location, facility, or holding area.

These are only four of the many applications that can be accomplished with Zebra Technologies HC100 Wristband printer. At a very cheap price, this printer can be utilized in many areas where a person needs to be tracked or admitted. Call or email us, if we can give you any more information on this printer.

Presented by
A1 Barcode Systems(GSA Schedule Holder)
Toll Free: 800.798.2042x0
Author: Carl S.
EMAIL: sales@a1bar.com
All Items http://www.aonebar.com/shop/
Zebra Technologies HC100 Wristband printer http://www.aonebar.com/zebrawristbandhc100/

LXE Thor - LXE Vehicle Computer

LXE Thor
Rugged Full-Screen Vehicle-Mount Computer(MN010)



Quick Facts

- Quick Mount Smart Dock allows one-handed move of units between vehicles to save cost and reduce down-time
- Ignition control makes the computer ready for work when you are
- Field-replaceable front panel that gets you back on line if the touch-screen, keyboard or defroster fail

For over 30 years, and across 10 product generations, LXE vehicle-mount computers have solved customer problems with game-changing features purpose-built for the enterprise and the individual worker. That heritage of innovation culminates with the LXE Thor vehicle-mount computer and 3 patent-pending features that enhance productivity and efficiency in ways never before imagined.

The LXE Thor is intuitively designed to match the way you work, with features like the Quick Mount Smart Dock that allow one-handed docking and undocking, or the field-replaceable keyboard and touchscreen that swap out in seconds. When you’re on the job, Thor works overtime, with a fast 1.6GHz Atom Z530 processor, WWAN, WLAN, and Bluetooth connectivity, and a Windows CE 6.0 or Windows Embedded Standard OS. All that computing power comes optimized for industrial environments with custom-made features like our patent-pending ignition control.

Published by Permission from LXE by The Barcode Guys.

Go to A1 Barcode Systems or to all vehicle mount computers or LXE Thor Spec sheet and particulars.

Please call for configuration and availability 800.798.2042

Rat Tail Tags and Butterfly Labels for Barcoding Jewelery

In the jewelry industry, keeping track of product is essential. Since most pieces are more costly and require more time to produce relative to other industries, jewelers have a heightened need for accurate inventory and product information.

Barcoding in the jewelry industry also requires an additional degree of finesse. Barcodes must be small and visually unobtrusive so as to not distract from the piece of jewelry in any away. The labels or tags used must be easy to remove so that the customer does not take home a product with a sticky residue, but at the same time, should not be too easy to take off. If tags tend to fall off, it may cause organizational problems and increase the likelihood of theft.

There are a variety of products used across the jewelry industry in inventory management, including handwritten adhesive tags, dot matrix labels and flat labels. However, the two barcoding solutions that we’ve found work best for most of our jewelry customers are rat-tail rags and butterfly labels.

Rat-tail tags provide a simple solution to jewelry labeling needs, and you’ve likely seen them in use. They consist of small barcode tags with a longer strip of paper extending from one side (see the below illustration). They can be attached to jewelry by slipping this “rat tail” end though a space in the piece of jewelry, and then folding the adhesive sides together, trapping the end of the rat tail between them.

Butterfly labels are also well suited for barcoding jewelry. These labels are shaped almost like dumbbells, and have two squares of adhesive connected by a thinner paper strip between them (illustration below). They are attached to jewelry by passing one side through a space in the jewelry, and adhering the two ends together.

There are also many variations within both of these categories. Identifying which labels will help you best organize, track and safeguard your inventory will depend on the kind of jewelry you are producing or selling.

We are happy to help companies of any size determine what type of labeling and barcoding would work best for them.

Reproduced with Permission of Alberta and Godex International. All is available by calling A1 Barcode Systems and the barcode guys.

All of the Godex Product Line is available at http://www.aonebar.com/godex/ and any labels and media that you need can be configured by us. You can also give us a call at 800.798.2042x0, or go on the website for Godex Desktop barcode printers or Godex Industrial barcode printers.

Batch and Wireless Barcode Software in Mobile Computing-A simple description

We are routinely asked how the ways or the best way to use a Mobile computer equipped with Barcode scanner.  Normally Batch and Wireless (realtime) are considered to be exclusive to a handheld computer when using barcodes systems software.

The handheld computer usually collects data in a SQL CE or another type of database storeage using its built in barcode scanner and the Windows Moble or CE based operating system.  It may soon be a bigger market for Apple using the Iphone and others with scanners attached.

Batch is really the simpler of the 2 since it requires no wireless connectivity.  It is simple using by coupling it back to the pc where it syncs with a program to update your database.  It also can pass data down to your Handheld Computer to be used out in the field or factory.  The military and federal government usually will use batch processing due to the risk of using wireless and being more open to the outside world.  Typically it is a much cheaper technology to implement.

Wirelesss or Realtime processing is done using WIFI or Cellular type connectivity to a host.  The host PC or server is also connected in a way that it can communicate with the handheld computer to allow it to update and be updated.  This is optimal for most manufacturing and field service activities.

Many products are available that utilize both technologies.  Realtime or Batch processing can be equally effective given the situation.  Realtime is preferred when adequate wireless coverage is available and where a wireless signal is not prohibited from use.

First Post from The Barcode Guy

This is our new Blogger blog.  A bit different from our first WordPress blog, but seemingly as effective.  In the future we will bring new information about barcode systems, barcode equipment, and badge printers.  Our original blog was at The Barcode Shack and our main company site is at A1 Barcode Systems

The success of this site in providing information will depend on the questions and comments of not only me and my staff, but others that have interest and questions in the barcode world.  We don't have all the answers, so join in.