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Interbit Data Introduces Downtime Patient Verification

Ensures positive patient identification and verification of paperwork and medication during a healthcare information system outage

Natick, MA – September 16, 2014 – Interbit Data, a leading provider of software and services connecting people with information for more efficient healthcare, today announced Downtime Patient Verification (DPV), a hospital patient identification and verification solution for confirming a patient’s identity and protecting them from clinical errors during a healthcare information system downtime or a network or power outage.

Interbit Data offers Downtime Patient Verification as an optional feature with NetSafe, its downtime protection and business continuance solution. DPV is also available as an add-on to any current NetSafe installation. Like NetSafe, DPV works with all healthcare information system (HIS) solutions.

Downtime Patient Verification is offered in two versions:

  • DPV – Verifies the patient ID on the patient’s downtime paperwork matches the patient ID on the patient’s wristband.
  • DPV Plus – Additionally verifies administration of the right medication based on the downtime paperwork that was verified for that patient and the patient’s medication administration record (MAR), protecting the patient from receiving the wrong medication.

“During system downtimes, hospitals need to not only ensure they have continued access to patient information, it’s critical they ensure they are using the right information for each patient,” said Arthur Young, founder and president of Interbit Data. “With Downtime Patient Verification, hospitals can ensure the right paperwork for the right patient and also the right MAR and the right medication for that patient.”

Downtime Patient Verification Standard generates and prints barcoded patient-identifying wristbands, labels and mother/infant security wristbands on demand, printing only the wristbands/labels needed to prevent exposing HIPAA-regulated patient-identifying information and to reduce waste. Using a barcode scanner, DPV scans the patient ID on the patient’s paperwork and the patient’s wristband to verify they match.

With Downtime Patient Verification Plus, hospital staff can additionally scan the patient ID on the patient’s MAR and the patient’s wristband to confirm they have the correct patient. They would then scan the downtime MAR medication ID and the physical medication to confirm they are administering the correct medication. Scanning the actual medication verifies or stops the administration process, ensuring that medication errors are avoided.