According to the “2013 Deep Dive Analysis on Laboratory Testing” study conducted by the ECRI Institute, specimen mislabeling is the leading cause of errors in the laboratory testing process. This includes a specimen with a label from a different patient, two contradictory labels, or a label that does not correspond with the order. Of the nearly 2,500 patient safety events reviewed in the study, 31% were due to mislabeling. The study also states that mislabeled specimens can lead to delays in the lab, such as the re-collection of samples, which can cause patient harm such as obtaining important diagnostic information for patient care. …read more
