July safety tool: Phonetic and numeric clarification
“It’s important to use clarifiers when the information might be unclear, especially patient names, procedure or test names, and medication names,” said Becky Pomrenke, RN, MSN, director of patient safety for USA Health.
As part of the Safety Starts with Me initiative, USA Health employees are encouraged to emphasize this safety behavior during July: Communicate clearly using phonetic and numeric clarification.
“It’s important to use clarifiers when the information might be unclear, especially patient names, procedure or test names, and medication names,” said Becky Pomrenke, RN, MSN, director of patient safety for USA Health.
For sound-alike numbers, say the number and then the digits. For instance, to clarify 15 versus 50, say “Fifteen; that’s one five.”
For sound-alike words and letters, use the phonetic alphabet. The phonetic alphabet is a set of clear code words used for communicating the letters of the alphabet. They range from Alpha and Bravo to Yankee and Zulu, and can be found on the back of the USA Health badge buddy.
To use the phonetic alphabet, say the letter followed by the word that begins with the letter. For instance, say, “That’s neurology with an N, as in November.”
“It’s usually not necessary to spell the whole word phonetically,” Pomrenke said. “Just spell the parts that can be confusing.”
