The Importance of Selecting the Right Printer for Patient Wristbands
Whether as a patient or a visitor, there’s a pretty good chance you've come across the now ubiquitous patient wristband at your last hospital visit. While now a routine part of healthcare operations, receiving hospital care and treatment before wristbands was fraught with human error, with potentially deadly results.
Before the 1990s, hospitals identified patients using manual methods such as verbal confirmations and bedside charts. These processes were prone to human error with potentially fatal consequences, such as doctors operating on the wrong body part or patients receiving the wrong blood type during a transfusion. Patient wristbands, which often feature barcodes, have drastically reduced human error—ensuring the right patients receive the right medication, blood type, or surgery. Wristbands have also helped to streamline workflows and counter labour shortages at hospitals.
Your Wristbands Are Only as Effective as Your Printer
However, your wristbands are only as effective as the printers that print them. For example, efficiency gains are negated if hospital staff must frequently replace a printer’s media roll. Meanwhile, wristbands printed with unreadable barcodes and information are essentially useless. Also, when printers can only handle limited wristband sizes, hospitals must purchase different models to meet the needs of diverse departments and wards. This adds complexity to both procurement and maintenance. Therefore, selecting a printer with the right features and capabilities is key to unlocking the full benefits of wristbands.
Minimise Downtime and Maximise Efficiency with 2-Inch DH Series 6.5-Inch OD Printers
TSC Auto ID 2-inch DH220L Series direct thermal printers are compelling options for hospitals and clinics. By accommodating larger 6.5-inch media rolls, the frequency of roll changes is reduced, minimising downtime. The printers also support diverse media widths—from 60mm to 10mm—to produce a range of wristband sizes. A media damper maintains a consistent amount of tension for reliable print quality despite the use of larger, heavier media rolls.
The printers also come with antimicrobial, easy-to-disinfect casings and IEC 60601-1 medical-grade compliant power supplies. With future IT infrastructure and workflow upgrades in mind, their modular designs allow for the addition of Bluetooth or Wi-Fi + Bluetooth combo modules as well as an HF RFID kit.