Corporate Compliance

New ID tag could prevent surgical errors

Compliance Monitor, November 24, 2004

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A radio frequency tag that patients can affix like a bandage to ensure doctors perform the right surgery on the right person won government approval last week, the Associated Press (AP) reported November 22.

The tag, described as part military dog tag and part high-tech smart chip, aims to prevent wrongful surgeries.

Manufactured by SurgiChip Inc. of Palm Beach Gardens, FL, the chip is the first surgical marking device approved by the Food and Drug Administration to use radio frequency identification, AP reported.

The chip works this way:

  • The patient's name and the site of surgery are printed on the SurgiChip tag. Inside is a chip encoded with the type of surgery, date of surgery and the surgeon's name.
  • Before surgery, the tag is scanned and the patient is asked to confirm the information is correct.
  • On the day of surgery, the tag is scanned again and reconfirmed again by the patient before the patient is sedated.
  • The patient helps stick the tag, which has an adhesive backing, near the site of the surgery. Workers in the hospital's operating room scan the tag again to compare that information with the patient's chart.
  • The tag would be removed before surgery.



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