Our facility is planning on adding on the BBK module from Meditech. Things are going fairly smoothly except for the TAR piece (Transfusion Administration record). We plan on having our nurses document bedside cheks, vital signs, start and stop times, etc This info should flow through to lab. We are unable to get the vital sign piece to work at all. Anyone out there have any experince with this system that they would be willing to share with us?

We have been live on Meditech corporate-wide (about 15 hospitals) for all hospital areas, including BBK, purchasing, nursing, pharmacy, lab, etc., for 2 years. TAR still does not work for nursing. Nursing returned to paper documentation of pre- & post-vitals used prior to the system retired 2 yr ago (HBOC) when Meditech went live. Nursing can record vitals in what is called PCS, but they would have to re-record the vitials in TAR to be associated with the transfusion.

hello Cindy - what meditech release are you at? and version?

Our facility is planning on adding on the BBK module from Meditech. Things are going fairly smoothly except for the TAR piece (Transfusion Administration record). We plan on having our nurses document bedside cheks, vital signs, start and stop times, etc This info should flow through to lab. We are unable to get the vital sign piece to work at all. Anyone out there have any experince with this system that they would be willing to share with us?

Not sure about the vitals but be aware that we have not been able to get Meditech to recognize that 2 units can hold the same unit number even though they have seperate ISBT product code numbers. You might want to consider this.

Wow! I am glad we have not attempted to go live with TAR for a variety of reasons. We were thinking about trying to get this going in the fall of this year.

(We are Magic 5.63 PP5)

Some of my concerns have been:

It is not available in the ED or OR modules, so what do you do in those areas.

We use a default volume for RBCs. If the nurse enters and actual volume that is greater than (is this even possible?) or less than the default volume, what happens?

As well as others.

Currently our nurses enter transfusion vitals via 'Assessments'.

Linda Frederick

We have been live with Meditech BBK module for 2.5 years now and have never heard of TAR. Our nurses use the PCS module to document their transfusions and it seems to capture the same data as what I am understanding TAR does. We have no problem with vitals flowing into BBK. Have you looked into PCS instead?

Not sure about the vitals but be aware that we have not been able to get Meditech to recognize that 2 units can hold the same unit number even though they have seperate ISBT product code numbers. You might want to consider this.

We had initially experienced the same issue regarding unit numbers until be began the ISBT conversion. In MediTech in order for the computer to hold more than one of the same unit number, each product code must be defined separetely in the dictionary for example a Leukoreduced red cell pheresis bag 1 is separate from Leukoreduced red cell pheresis bag 2. Since ISBT has many many more codes than codabar did, this certainly took a looong time:rolleyes:

We are on 5.5 Meditech, Client Server. I've just seen an on-line demo of 5.6 that we are due to start implementing in Sept. It looks like the EMR. There seem to be a lot of improvements. Transfusions are captured, including start, end times, cosigners, vitals, reactions. and all can flow into BBK. A check list of steps, including bar code scanning of patient wristband, unit no, unit type, exp, product. We will have to wait and see if this materializes in the release.

We have been using TAR for awhile now. Nursing does have to document vitals in TAR not nursing notes or other documentation or it can not be viewed in Blood Bank History. They are scanning all unit barcodes, patient wristbands, ect at the bedside. The only downfall we have is nursing actually taking vitals at the correct times. Meditech prompts on the status board when the next vitals are due, but sometimes they are not taken at the appropriate times. this creates an incomplete tranfusuion record for Blood Bank when each transfusion is being monitored.

Otherwise TAR has worked great.

Hello everyone,

Long time lurker - don't usually post.

 

I did a search to see what all you brilliant people had to say about the documentation of vital signs. I'm doing an audit here, and it seems our nurses must document on the blood bank paper record as well as online in their nursing module.  We use Meditech (Client Server 5.66) as well and I've never heard of this TAR.

 

So, this post is from quite a few years ago.  Any updates or thoughts about TAR or any other way of documentating the vital signs?

 

S

We are on meditech 5.66 and have been using BCTA for approximately 3 years now. TAR is really an outdated term. BCTA (Bar-Code enabled Transfusion Administration) is the correct term to use in meditech. As far as I know, all the HCA hospitals use this.

We are on Meditech Client Server 5.66 and have been using TAR (transfusion adminiistration record, and yes, this is what Meditech is calling it here) since April 2013.  Nursing documents all vital signs in TAR and the unit/patient verification is all done by barcode using TAR.   It is working quite nicely for us.....ED and OR are still using paper because they use their own system, but the rest of the hospital is using TAR.

Thank you.. maybe this is something we could look into.  it seems like there is a lot of duplication on the nursing side of things.  I'll have to look into everything on their side

We are going LIVE with 6.0 on June 1 and have TAR set up with nursing.  It is working very well and we are very excited to finally hand transfusion administration documentation back to nursing where it belongs (no more issue/transfusion forms that have to be entered by us).  The vitals signs are calculated from the initial set and alert the nurse to when the next set is due. Transfusion reaction symptoms can be documented and the information sent back to BB as a SUSPECT reaction.  Then if the physician wants a workup, a reflex order is entered.

P.S. Both OR and ED are also using TAR so it is available in both of those modules.

We are looking to start looking at TAR within the next 3 months. EMAR is going up this month. Any and all information is greatly appreciated. 

apuckett@morehead.org

  Do any Meditech TAR/BCTA, Cerner, SCC, Sunquest or other user of an automated transfusion verification system use a separate blood transfusion ID Wristband like Typenex or PDC's SecurLine or do you just use the admission bar coded ID band?

 

Richard

We do not use separate blood ID bands, we use the hospital barcoded ID band.

We are on Meditech Client Server 5.66 and have been using TAR (transfusion adminiistration record, and yes, this is what Meditech is calling it here) since April 2013.  Nursing documents all vital signs in TAR and the unit/patient verification is all done by barcode using TAR.   It is working quite nicely for us.....ED and OR are still using paper because they use their own system, but the rest of the hospital is using TAR.

Hello all,

 

My question is mainly related to Meditech, not TAR. I am wondering if you have a solution for products that go out in coolers not auto transfusing before the nurse has a chance to use them. Thanks.

We use Meditech BCTA automated transfusion verification system with the Typenex barcoded wristbands - works beautifully.

Hello all,

 

My question is mainly related to Meditech, not TAR. I am wondering if you have a solution for products that go out in coolers not auto transfusing before the nurse has a chance to use them. Thanks.

 Clarest, increase the autotransfuse timer under the configurations. We have ours set for 24 hours.

I do wish they hadn't called it TAR. Everytime I get a notification, I think it is to do with the Rh40 antigen Tar!!!!!!!!!!