UDI and Patients: Better Information, More Informed Treatment

A pilot project from Mercy, a high-performing health system in the Midwest, integrated unique device identifiers (UDIs) into hospital inventory systems and patients' medical records. The pilot helped improve safety, enhance care quality, and support operational efficiencies. If adopted more broadly, the UDI system can benefit the entire health care system.

Joseph Drozda Jr., M.D., director of outcomes research at Mercy and leader of the UDI pilot project, explains some of these benefits. For example, patients can carry UDI information with them wherever they go, giving doctors the data they need to make better decisions about care.