A "look-back coordinator" at a tertiary care medical center in the Northeast of the USA would like to know names, addresses and telephone numbers of any reliable organization that can do look-back investigations for recalled blood products. The reason for this request is that the inquiring colleague's facility is looking to outsource look-backs to an organization that meets all federal guidlines.

The following comments have been received

ADDENDA July 26, 2004

1. The Editor reports that his institution (Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center) and others within the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services had a positive experience with HCV lookbacks that were assisted by an outside agency. Unfortunately, the outside agency, 'Home Access Health', is currently unavailable for this kind of activity.

2. A transfusion medicine physician (who is also an attorney) in Chicago cautions that a hospital should be careful when using an outside vendor to assist with lookbacks on recalled blood products. The hospital should be certain that all federal and state requirements are met with such an arrangement. He addes that the regulatory burden will remain on the hospital, so that if the outside vendor drops the ball, and proves not to be reliable, it would be the hospital’s fault if a Lookback was not probably managed.

3. A representative of a company named 'Validation Partners, Inc' indicates that they are available to assist with lookbacks on recalled products. Located in the Northeast USA, their phone number is 631-981-8525, and their website is www.validationpartners.com (Editor's note: No endorsement is implied regarding this or any other company claiming to do lookbacks on recalled blood products. Please review the posting in reply #2 above).

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