In 2023, the Informatics Council at Kaiser Permanente Roseville raised concerns about the challenges posed by patient armbands featuring only a single QR code, which made scanning difficult if a patient was lying flat or if the armband was too tight to reposition. In response, Chief Nurse Executive Debbie Reitter, DNP, MSN, RN, CNS, NEA-BC escalated the issue to regional partners. By Summer 2024, the Informatics team collaborated with the region to design and implement enhanced armbands. The new armbands feature larger medical record numbers (MRNs), a second MRN, 13 QR codes for improved scanning, a second ID barcode, and spaces for a patient’s preferred name and gender pronouns. Registered Nurses on the Informatics Council provided valuable real-time feedback, resulting in further modifications to the prototype. In October 2024, the upgraded armbands were officially rolled out across the Kaiser Roseville campus. The addition of multiple QR codes ensures more efficient scanning, regardless of a patient’s position, while the inclusion of preferred names and gender pronouns has led to increased patient satisfaction. Plans are in place to extend the enhanced armbands to other Kaiser sites across Northern California in the near future.
