All of our slides are required per JCAHO regulations to have "2" patient
identifiers. We use the assigned laboratory accession number and the
patient last name.  The JCAHO inspector that recently inspected my
laboratory peeled off our slide labels on several cases to ensure that
the slides themselves were labeled permanantly with marker/or etched
with "2" patient identifiers.  

If you do not care to use a patient's last name as an identifier a
patient's hospital medical record # or birthdate can be used along with
the laboratory accession number. Using a patients last name should not
be a breach of confidentiality - if HIPAA regulations are followed all
and any patient identifying information is covered when taken out of the
laboratory or when outside people are present in your lab. 

Jean Mitchell
University of Wisconsin Hospital & Clinics
Neuromuscular Laboratory
Madison, WI

-----Original Message-----
From: Bonner, Janet [mailto:Janet.Bonner@FLHOSP.ORG] 
Sent: Thursday, April 06, 2006 11:28 AM


Please help me to clarify the new regulation of JCAHO regarding the two
identifiers, because I have been requested to use  2 identifiers on the
slides. As I understand this subject, it will apply to the specimen
collection container when it is submitted for processing, because the
identification must be done in the presence of the patient. Slides
identification is way pass this point! I appreciate any help. Thank you
very much.


Magaly Rojas,HTL(ASCP)
Histopathology Manager
Inova Fairfax Hospital
Falls Church,Va. 
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