Blood Bank Audits

[Everett9239]

Hi Everyone!

 

I preface all of my questions with 'I am new to this' so I do not sound like a total moron.  Anyway, I recently took over the supervisor job at our blood bank and am working on the internal audits we do.  In looking at them, some of them seem totally irrelevant and really not worth 'auditing.'  When I ask eveyone why they are doing them (the bench techs are assigned the audits on a trimester rotation), a lot of the time the answer I get is 'we have just always done it.'  This is not an acceptable answer in my book.  My question is, are there any standards about what needs to be audited (apart from the normal transfusion audit), or is it up to the discretion of each blood center.  I do not mind performing audits, but I want them to be meaningful!

[tricore]

What audits are you currently performing?

[OxyApos]

Are you referring to Blood Utilization ie appropriateness of transfusions?

[tbostock]

You should be auditing something...but pick something meaningful. We audit transfusion appropriateness, hand-off communication (we audit the log that it is completed each shift), blood administration (we follow a unit once a month all the way through the process to assess nursing competency), informed consent compliance, and a few others.

A new leader starting is an excellent time to look at "we've always done it this way" and ask yourself...but does it add value? Or is it regulatory?

P.S. Nobody at BB Talk will ever consider anyone a moron. There is no condemnation here!

[goodchild]

Do you have a copy of the AABB Standards? Check out 8.2(1-11)

 

1. ordering practices

2. patient ID

3. sample collection/labeling

4. infectious&noninfectious adverse events

5. near misses

6. utilization and waste

7. appropriateness of use

8. blood administration

9. ability of services to meet patient needs

10. compliance with peer-review recommendations

11. monitor critical lab results before and after transfusion

 

Even if you're not accredited through AABB, their standards are a great tool to guide you. We're accredited by CAP but still have to follow AABB standards because our state law simply reads "follow aabb standards."

Edited July 11, 2013 by goodchild

[pstruik]

I always followed the principle of starting with 'things that are most important' and 'things we do most often' when prioritising audits

(in a commercial environment I suppose you would add 'things which cost us most/use most resources')

Edited July 12, 2013 by pstruik

[Everett9239]

We doing transfusion audits (following the unit upstairs to make sure things are documented, etc.), a bone bank inventory audit, a manual records audit (this is the one I have the most issue with), charging audit for various things, and other audits which more or less are checking for QC completeness and things like that.  I would like to do things that are more 'meaningful.'  I can worry about the charge stuff, or I can build reports that check this as well.  I appreciate everyone's insight!  This whole forum has been so helpful for me!!

[Everett9239]

Do you have a copy of the AABB Standards? Check out 8.2(1-11)

 

1. ordering practices

2. patient ID

3. sample collection/labeling

4. infectious&noninfectious adverse events

5. near misses

6. utilization and waste

7. appropriateness of use

8. blood administration

9. ability of services to meet patient needs

10. compliance with peer-review recommendations

11. monitor critical lab results before and after transfusion

 

Even if you're not accredited through AABB, their standards are a great tool to guide you. We're accredited by CAP but still have to follow AABB standards because our state law simply reads "follow aabb standards."

Ah I didn't even see this in the book!!  That you for pointing this out!  This is exactly what I was looking for!