We are a small blood bank in New York that is looking to implement the electronic Transfusion Administration Record (TAR) software in an older version of Meditech.  We (Nursing and Blood Bank) reviewed the system and like the software for issuing and transfusion of the blood products. But to review patient’s transfusion information in Meditech after the transfusion is horrible. The reports/forms are not formatted and appear mashed together. This is not acceptable Blood Bank practice.  I contacted Meditech to give me suggestions or allow me to contact any blood bank that uses the Meditech systems so they can give me suggestions. But it has been over a month and Meditech still have not contacted me.  If I do not get this issue resolved, we will have to continue documenting  transfusions on paper.  So, this is my last hope... Is there anyone that uses the electronic TAR feature of Meditech? If so, how are you auditing the transfusions and showing inspectors the transfusion information during inspection?

I have found most of the standard blood bank reports useless for transfusion review.  I don't specifically remember data mashed up and becoming unreadable, but it is difficult to do a proper review with the multi-line reports that they give you.  I had my NPR writer develop a transfusion review report for me which pulls all of the data I need in a semi-colon delimited format.  I download this report, export it into Excel, and then each transfusion is on its own line with headings that I can sort any way I need.  This has been a lifesaver!

We have Meditech and TAR and it is a problem. The transfusion report gives minimal information. My staff spends hours on  auditing for compliance. TAR was suppose to eliminate incomplete transfusion charts, consent, vitals ,outcome. The implementation of TAR requires checking in EMR for transfusion data . IF the data is not present we have to  search for documentation in the nursing notes. I would like a NPR report specific for TAR documentation. IF the information is not documented then it is an incomplete document. Unfortunately we do not have access to a  NPR writer and Meditech has limited options. If you manage to get a transfusion report to please can you share it.

 

 

Thank you for your responses. They were very helpful. I have one question for BankerGirl, did you hire an NPR writer from an outside company or did the NPR writer work for your hospital?

 

 

We have an NPR writer on contract with the hospital.  I hope we never lose her!

We are version 6.15 in Meditech and currently use TAR for almost all transfusion documentation.  I find review fairly easy, but we have a real bull dog of an RN in our IS dept who did a great job building it, and assumes total ownership of it.  Documentation outside of TAR (in nurses' notes, in "vitals" section, etc.) is not considered compliant for non-emergent transfusions.  (Vitals entered in TAR do flow to the "Vitals" section of the EMR however). Nurses are prompted at the correct times and each timed entry includes a section asking if s/s of transfusion reaction are observed. She has included a 30 min post transfusion vitals check within the TAR record.  I review a sampling throughout each month and forward minor exceptions to dept nursing leadership; I submit Report of Events for significant exceptions.  Aside from checking for transfusion orders and labs, most everything else I need is included in the TAR documentation.  How TAR is built in OM determines how much info is available in it. Don't get me wrong, I spend a considerable amount of time in the EMR sleuthing out why we transfused someone who didn't appear on the surface to meet criteria, but that is not the fault of the TAR documentation.