Key messages
- The Blood Matters Program promotes the principles of Patient Blood Management, quality improvement and sector engagement.
- Blood Matters is instrumental in creating and supporting blood management/transfusion nurse, safety officers and trainer roles.
- The Blood Matters Advisory Committee is the steering committee for the Blood Matters Program. It has a multidisciplinary membership which includes consumers.
- Our approach to blood management, which includes transfusion practice, is multi-modal.
The Blood Matters Program is a Victorian State Government program run in collaboration with the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood (formerly Blood Service).
The program supports best practices in clinical safety, and quality care for blood management (sustainable, responsible, safe and appropriate use). The goal is to improve patient outcomes in Victorian health services.
Strategic direction
Use new and varied approaches to:
- promote and support the development of strategies that optimise appropriate use of blood products, or alternatives, and person-centred care through national and local governance frameworks and standards
- foster and strengthen partnerships and stakeholder relationships
- analyse data and disseminate findings across the sector to raise awareness, influence practice, promote efficiencies, and provide value
- provide and promote expert knowledge sharing and collaboration across the sector, including specific initiatives, tools and specialised advice.
Blood management workshops
Staff from Blood Matters can help with blood management and transfusion workshops for health services. The workshops can cover as much of the blood journey from donation to safe transfusion practice, as needed.
It can include Patient Blood Management (PBM) and the guidelines, adverse events and massive haemorrhage. The workshops are free.
Depending on the duration and location of the health service the education can be run virtually or face-to-face.
If you are interested in holding a workshop at your health service please contact the Blood Matters Program.
Blood management/transfusion nurse/trainer/safety officer roles
The Blood Matters Program has been instrumental in implementing the blood management/transfusion nurse/trainer/safety officer roles across Victorian health services. The program continues to support health services and the staff in these roles.
Most public and some private health services in Victoria employ either a Blood Management/Transfusion Nurse or equivalent role to support the Blood Management National Standard.
The ongoing development of the role is of key importance to the Blood Matters Program.
The Specialist Certificate in Blood Management Foundations and the Graduate Certificate in Transfusion Practice course developed by Blood Matters, is no longer available through The University of Melbourne.
Lifeblood are currently preparing educational options for blood management and transfusion practice education.
Advisory Committee
The Blood Matters Advisory Committee (BMAC) membership includes representatives from both the private and public health sectors and from different clinical specialties.
The committee promotes using a variety of method to support all aspects of blood management.
For further information regarding membership of the BMAC please contact the Blood Matters Program.
Blood Matters contacts
Find contact details for Blood Matters staff, and for Victorian and interstate transfusion nurses, trainers, safety officers and quality officers on the contacts page.
History
The Blood Matters Program grew out of a project that began in April 2002, which involved the collaboration of three organisations. The project developed and tested tools and processes aimed at improving the quality and safety of transfusion practice in health services.
The project was expanded in 2003 to include an additional 12 public hospitals, which was named the Blood Matters Breakthrough Collaborative project.
This expanded project used methodology developed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) in the United States to further test and develop various quality improvement strategies over an 18-month period.
Blood Matters has continued to grow and evolve over the years and continue to provide quality improvement strategies in line with changes in the blood sector.
Reviewed 16 October 2023