Electronic remote blood issue supports efficient and timely supply of blood and cost reduction: evidence from five hospitals at different stages of implementation

Abstract

BACKGROUND This multicenter international study evaluated electronic remote blood issue (ERBI) for blood unit collection in hospitals. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Retrospective data were collected from the ERBI software databases and blood bank information systems. Prospective “time‐and‐motion” data collection methods simulated the delivery of red blood cell units to determine the staff time for each step. RESULTS The main benefit of ERBI was found in two hospitals where the blood unit was issued and collected at refrigerators remote from the blood bank (closer to the clinical area) compared with the standard process of blood bank issue (BBI) and blood unit collection in the blood bank. There was a reduction in the time for blood to reach patients (2.02 min compared to 8.43 min at one site [p ≤ 0.0001], 1.57 min compared to 6.54 min at the other [p ≤ 0.0001]). However, there was no reduction in time where ERBI was conducted in the blood bank or where a blood unit issued by the standard BBI was collected at remote refrigerators. In the three hospitals where ERBI was conducted at remote refrigerators, there was an improved issue:transfusion ratio (range of 1.02‐1.09 for ERBI compared to 1.48‐1.58 for BBI) and a reduction in staff time and costs of between $5,000 and $10,000/year. CONCLUSION This multicenter international study builds on findings from studies in single hospitals that ERBI at remote refrigerators improves the efficiency of transfusion by reducing the time taken for blood units to reach patients, staff time, and costs.

Electronic transfusion consent and blood delivering pattern improve the management of blood bank in China

“…We delivered blood in batches on a regular basis, saved $3.67 per unit on average. The annual savings is also substantial, comparable to ERBI brings($5,000 -$10,000) [32].…”

“…In the United Kingdom, the nurses needed to collect samples, place requests for blood transfusion and administer transfusion [31]. Specimen delivery and blood delivery were done by workers and cost only $9, but nursing inputs was still the most important part of the whole chain of blood transfusion management [32]. In China, regulations clearly state that trained medical personnel (usually nurses) should be responsible for blood delivery [7].…”

Electronic transfusion consent and blood delivering pattern improve the management of blood bank in China

“…In the United Kingdom, the nurses needed to collect samples, place requests for blood transfusion, and administer blood transfusion [ 32 ]. Specimen delivery and blood delivery were done by workers and cost only $9, but nursing inputs was still the most important part of the whole blood transfusion management chain [ 33 ]. In China, regulations clearly state that trained medical personnel (usually nurses) should be responsible for blood delivery [ 8 ].…”

Desenvolvimento do Hemomonitor com sistema de alertas para o paciente em uso de hemocomponentes

“…De acordo com Narayan e col. (2020), os atrasos podem ser frutos de situações organizacionais/ estruturais e seus efeitos/ resultados poderão ser analisados em tempo real. Ainda, as trilhas de auditoria presentes no Hemomonitor indicarão o delay entre todas as etapas de transfusão, como recomendado, e poderão reduzir a realização de transfusões noturnas, uma prática que pode inferir em RT, segundo ANVISA (2015), Staples (2019) e Gonçalves (2018). Narayann e col. (2020) descrevem a auditoria como elemento crucial para determinar a responsabilidade de onde os erros multifatoriais possam advir.…”