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Managing patient belongings is a critical aspect of hospital operations, directly impacting patient trust, satisfaction, and hospital reimbursement costs. Inconsistent policies and handling procedures can lead to misplaced items, time-intensive recovery efforts, and significant financial strain on healthcare facilities.
The following best practices provide a structured approach to safeguarding patient belongings, enhancing accountability, and streamlining processes to improve both patient experience and operational efficiency.
Establish Clear Belongings Policies
Standardize policies for handling and tracking patient items, so all departments follow consistent procedures, from admission to discharge.
Implement Barcode or RFID Tracking
Use barcode or RFID systems on belongings bags to track items, with each scan updating patient records in real time.
Use Tamper-Resistant Belongings Bags
Secure patient items in tamper-resistant, barcoded bags that can be tracked throughout their stay to ensure accountability.
Encourage Patients to Secure Valuables
Suggest patients keep valuables with trusted family members or in secure hospital storage to reduce the risk of loss.
Train Staff on Belongings Management
Regularly train all staff—especially nursing and administrative teams—on belongings protocols and empathy in handling patient items.
Communicate Belongings Procedures to Patients
Share belongings management procedures with patients and families during admission, offering reassurance and transparency.
Designate a Patient Advocate Team
Ensure there’s a patient advocate team available to address belongings concerns, monitor policies, and review patient feedback for improvements.
These practices can not only help reduce losses but also create a more reassuring, trust-building environment that centers on patients’ peace of mind and dignity.
SMARTSafe Bags help reduce lost patient belongings by providing secure, tamper-resistant storage for patient items, paired with wristbands and barcodes to easily associate each bag with its respective patient. This system simplifies the tracking and transfer of belongings between departments, ensuring items remain with, or get returned to, the correct patient during their stay.
UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside is a two-hospital campus, including a Level I trauma center and another 500-bed hospital in Pittsburgh, PA. The hospitals combined to spend $50,975.82 in 2020 in reimbursements for lost patient belongings in the hospitals.
In 2022 Stephen Marzano conducted a comprehensive case study on improving hospital belongings management through structured process enhancement, offering valuable insights for healthcare facilities aiming to enhance patient experience and reduce operational losses.
His full Masters Essay can be downloaded here.
In 2024 UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside implemented the use of the SMARTSafe Belongings Bags.
