Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) SLC Practice Exam

How should a patient be accurately identified?

1. By asking their first name only

2. Using a photograph

3. By checking their wristbands and confirming their name and date of birth

4. By asking their social security number

The correct answer is: By checking their wristbands and confirming their name and date of birth

Accurately identifying a patient is crucial for ensuring their safety and providing the correct treatment. The most reliable method is by checking their wristbands, which typically include the patient’s name and date of birth. This approach minimizes the likelihood of errors and helps verify their identity against medical records, making it a robust practice in healthcare settings. Using wristbands is a standardized procedure that integrates with broader protocols to enhance patient safety. It allows healthcare providers to cross-check the provided information and establish a clear identity, which is particularly important in busy environments where verbal identification can lead to misunderstandings. Asking for a first name only lacks specificity and can lead to confusion in environments where multiple patients may share common names. Using a photograph can be helpful but may not be universally available in all settings, and it doesn’t provide comprehensive identification as a wristband would. Lastly, using a social security number is not advisable for patient identification due to privacy concerns and the risk of miscommunication or errors that may arise in obtaining such information.