The chain begins when the sample of the patient being identified. This can be done by writing the name on sample collectors before the sample are put into them.
Chain of custody involves the process of identification of a sample of data by reporting and taking note of the test results presented. This process normally begins with sample preparation of the patient and make sure there are no errors or mix ups when the samples are being stored to be worked upon in the laboratory .
The Chain of Custody is a protocol that laboratories use to make sure that a sample is always under custody of the correct person and in the right place. During this process, all the steps and transactions of the sample from one person or location to the other have to be described and documented, from the moment of the extraction up to the moment of its disposal. So the first step is to identify the patient and have a record of this.
