[Histonet] patients with alias names

[mwhite <@t> mcleodhealth.org]

Histonetters: We are curious to find out how your facilities  handle
patients with alias names.

At our hospital, patients are somewhat frequently admitted with alias names
in order to protect their privacy and/or safety (i.e., gunshot wounds, gang
crime, etc.) . Usually their pathology is done without us ever knowing that
there was an alias.  So, we have slides and blocks that are labeled with an
incorrect name along with the case number, etc.  If the patient was in our
system previously, they use their existing permanent medical record number.

Upon discharge from our hospital computer system, these patients' medical
records are merged or corrected somehow  with the real name , and the name
is updated in our pathology LIS and our clinical lab LIS.   Occasionally
the discharge is timed in such a way that the path report hasn't yet been
signed out; therefore the slides, blocks, gross description, etc. all
contain an alias name that appears as a discrepancy to the pathologist
( who sees the discharged patient's real name on the header of the typed
gross paperwork.)

Our pathologists are very uncomfortable with the slides and blocks having
the alias name. What if they want to send out these materials to other
facilities for consults?  We don't get any report that shows a summary of
aliases.

 What are your policies and procedures?




Melanie S. White, MT(ASCP)
Laboratory Supervisor, Systems/Anatomic Pathology
McLeod Regional Medical Center
(843) 777-2072



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