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Experience in using electronic medical records for ordering and documenting blood transfusions

Two colleagues in the United States were interested in learning about the experience of others with regards to electronic medical records and the ordering and documenting of blood transfusions.

  1. A colleague in Southern California wants to know what experience others have had with computer order entry systems for ordering of blood products, including the use of 'electronic' signatures by the physician who is prescribing the transfusion. The Californian is of the understanding that some hospitals allow nurses and clerks to input orders for blood products into a hospital information system, provided the orders have been 'written' by a physician.
  2. A colleague in Florida reports that his health system will be opening a new "paperless" hospital in February 2005. The hospital will have an electronic medical record, physician computer order entry, wireless handheld devices for recording vital signs, drug administration, etc. In the short run the Floridian does not see any way around printing unit tags to label components for transfusion, even though there will be no patient chart on which to place a completed unit tag! Scanning a handwritten completed unit tag and placing a digital image into the patient's electronic record is an option until their Information Systems team can develop an electronic form to capture all of the information that is normally recorded on a completed unit tag. The Floridian would be interested to learn from the experience of any transfusion service that has already developed an electronic blood administration record, and how they went about this. Key issues for discussion would be forms design, data fields, electronic signatures, as well as the actual logistics/process for nursing to complete the forms, the transfusion service to monitor completion, reporting of reactions, etc.

1. The Editor suggests that the information at:

and the e-Network Forum discussions:

may be germane to the present discussion.

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Please submit comments to the e-Network Forum.

Ira A. Shulman, MD
CBBS e-Network Forum Editor & Moderator

Posted: December 26, 2004

Addenda:

The e-Network Forum is supported in part by the California Blood Bank Society (CBBS) and the American Red Cross Blood Services (ARCBS) and endorses collegial discussion among blood banking and transfusion medicine professionals. However, neither the CBBS nor the ARCBS in any way endorse the specific views and opinions expressed in the forum. The forum is not intended as a substitute for medical or legal advice and the content should not be relied upon for any medical or legal purposes. Readers should make their own determinations as to: (i) what constitutes appropriate medical, technical, and administrative practices, and (ii) how best to comply with laws and regulations relevant to their questions. For the latter, they should consider consulting, as to any medical matters, a qualified physician, and, as to any legal matters, an attorney familiar with related state and federal laws. The user of the forum, by accessing same, assumes all risks arising out of such use and releases CBBS and their respective members, directors, officers and agents from and against any loss, damage, claim or liability arising out of such use of the Forum.