MANAGING QUALITY IN-HOSPITAL TRANSFUSION MEDICINE

Transfusion services must move beyond after-the-fact inspection of quality into blood bank practices that proactively improve each process of day-to-day operations. This article presents a model for implementing a quality management program in transfusion medicine that meets the requirements of all the accrediting and regulatory agencies. Blood bank systems, critical control points, key procedural areas, and systems checks for all blood bank processes have been identified. Quality management tools from industry are then used to identify opportunities for improvement, develop solutions to identified problems, and implement improvement activities. The results of successfully applying the model to cross-match-order practices in cardiovascular surgery are described.