Blood Matters Advisory Committee

Page contents: Aim | Blood Matters governance | Why improve hospital transfusion practice? | Blood matters | Transfusion nurse | Actions of BeST | BeST structure

Aim

The Blood Matters Advisory Committee has been established to improve outcomes in patients requiring blood product transfusion in Victorian hospitals by enhancing the safety and appropriateness of blood and blood product use.

Blood Matters Governance

The Advisory Committee is accountable to the Department of Human Services Victoria (DHS- Vic) and is an extension of the Blood Matters project which was supported by DHS- Vic since April 2002.

Why improve hospital transfusion practice?

Large numbers of Australians rely on blood products to support them through medical/ surgical episodes or for regular transfusions to maintain health. All who are transfused expect that the decision to transfuse is appropriate, that the blood products are safe, and that the transfusion process meets the highest standards.
In recent times, extraordinary steps have been taken to improve the safety of blood products.

Evidence suggests that major threats to patient safety from transfusion relate to errors in decision making and in the way blood products are administered, rather than to inherent problems in the actual blood products. Recent Australian studies have shown that transfusion of red cells, platelets and fresh frozen plasma are inappropriate in 20 – 50 per cent of transfusion events and that recommended transfusion practices are not followed (MJA, 7 May 2001). Reducing inappropriate blood transfusions would not only reduce patient exposure to transfusion- related health risks, pressure on the blood supply and potential medico legal intervention, but also unnecessary costs.

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Blood Matters

The Blood Matters project commenced in April 2002 with the formation of a Consortium of three organisations. This consortium developed and tested tools and processes to improve transfusion practice in hospitals. The Blood Matters project was expanded in 2003 to include an additional 12 public hospitals in a Blood Matters Breakthrough Collaborative project, a project methodology developed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) in the United States. These hospitals further tested and developed transfusion interventions over an 18 month period.
The interventions included:

* Seek to improve clinician and patient awareness and knowledge of blood product use,
* Improve clinical decision making, and
* Enhance the blood administration process by making all successful practical strategies for improvement available to other hospitals in Victoria and Tasmania.

As part of the Blood Matters project, the transfusion nurse role was installed into hospitals. To support those in the role, a Certificate in Transfusion course was developed as part of the Blood Matters Consortium project.

Transfusion Nurse

The Blood Matters project involved the Transfusion nurse as a key contact and coordinator for all health services involved.

The ongoing development of the Transfusion Nurse Role is of key importance to the BeST program.

Actions of Blood Matters

Achievements toward safer transfusion practice in 15 hospitals through out Victoria and Tasmania in the Blood Matters project will form the foundations for continued improvement under the BeST program, while efforts will be made to spread initiatives to other public and private hospitals in the state. It is anticipated that practice change initiatives will be piloted in a number of hospitals initially, before recommendations for state wide implementation is made.

Blood Matters Structure

The Blood Matters program is made up of a multidisciplinary Advisory Committee. It is supported by a secretariat including a Project Officer and a Transfusion Nurse. It is structured so expert working parties focus on specific target areas to determine strategies for improving transfusion practice.

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