Standardizing Transfusion Appropriateness

John Damgaard, Vice President & General Manager of Blood Management at Mediware Information Systems (attribution used with permission) reports that at a recent executive conference participants discussed how by increasing attention on standardizing Transfusion Appropriateness, blood management can directly and dramatically impact the Patient Safety, Operational Efficiency, and Clinical and Financial Outcomes of healthcare facilities. The challenge is that the standards for determining appropriateness continue to change. Solidifying these standards and implementing a decision support tool for physicians are major components in shaping the future of blood banking and, more importantly, blood management as a whole. Mediware produced a report on the Transfusion Appropriateness discussion which includes:

• In Sync: Standardization and Harmonization of Blood Management
• Decision-Making: Support and Empowerment
• Data Management and Clinical Information
• Peace of Mind: Blood Assurance and Clinical Outcomes
• Three C's of Transfusion Appropriateness

The report can be accessed from www.mediware.com/bb/transfusionappropriateness (registration required to access).

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Ira A. Shulman, MD
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