LAKE OF THE OZARKS - Nurses and doctors will literally be given a 'red flag' the next time you are admitted into Lake Regional Health Systems if you have allergies to certain medications. The red flag is a red bracelet.

Yellow is a fall risk. Purple is do-not-resuscitate.

'A lot of patients won't even notice the change,' explained the hospital's Director of Public Relations Laura Gajda.

But it means less chance of error and a world of difference to the medical staff.

Starting March 1, Lake Regional Health Systems will join other hospitals across the state and nation in standardizing the use of colored wristbands.

A statewide survey by the Missouri Center of Public Safety found that hospitals across the state use more than 20 different colors to represent almost 30 different clinical conditions.

'It really makes a lot of difference to the nurses. A lot of them work in different facilities, picking up hours, and if different colors mean different things, there's the potential for mistakes,' Gajda said.

A standardized system also means a patient being transported from Lake Regional to a hospital in St. Louis, for example, should also experience a less likely chance for error.

'It's about bringing a higher level of patient care,' Gajda said.

Missouri is the eighth state to implement the voluntary wristband system and the only state in the Midwest to do so.

The selected colors are consistent with the ones used by a majority of states involved.