Standardized emergency codes may minimize "code confusion"
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Series Title(s):
- Pennsylvania patient safety advisory
- Author(s):
- Wallace, Susan C., author Finley, Edward, author
- Contributor(s):
- Pennsylvania. Patient Safety Authority, issuing body. ECRI (Organization), issuing body. Institute for Safe Medication Practices, issuing body.
- Publication:
- [Harrisburg, Pa.] : Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority, March 2015
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- Emergencies Emergency Medical Services -- standards Health Facilities -- standards Hospital Communication Systems -- standards Hospitals -- standards Patient Safety -- standards Terminology as Topic Color Confusion -- prevention & control Voluntary Programs Humans Pennsylvania United States
- Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- Emergency code terminology (i.e., terms used to notify staff in healthcare facilities about an event that requires immediate action) varies significantly in Pennsylvania. For example, an emergency code for an adult medical emergency at different healthcare facilities could be announced as a "code blue," "code rescue," "code stat," or "code 99." Analysis of events reported to the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority from July 2004 through 2013 and a northeast Pennsylvania hospital survey found 80 different codes that were grouped into 37 categories. Over 25 hospital associations have recommended standardized codes and definitions for healthcare facilities in their states. More recently, several associations have endorsed "plain language" codes based on recommendations from government agencies such as the US Department of Homeland Security. To help promote consistency for patient safety and decrease "code confusion," it is suggested that Pennsylvania healthcare facilities develop a standardized emergency code system. This voluntary code standardization could lead to the reduction of code terminology variations, increase awareness and knowledge of healthcare staff working in multiple facilities, and promote transparency of code meanings.
- Copyright:
- Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY-NC-ND license. (More information)
- Extent:
- 1 online resource (1 PDF file (pages 1-6))
- Illustrations:
- Illustrations
- NLM Unique ID:
- 101655445 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101655445