Ep 23: Hemovigilance

It is our duty as medical professionals to provide the safest blood possible for patients undergoing a transfusion. Hemovigilance is crucial in ensuring that the blood products we use are of the highest quality. So, how does the data collection and reporting process work? 

On this episode of Inside the Lab, our hosts Dr. Dan Milner and Ms. Kelly Swails are joined by Dr. Chester Andrzejewski, MD, Medical Director of System Blood Banking and Transfusion Medicine Services at Baystate Health in Springfield, Massachusetts, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Ms. Lynne O’Hearn, MT(ASCP), Transfusion Safety Officer at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts, and Mr. Karl G. Stein, BB(ASCP)CM, Lead Medical Technologist for OneBlood, Inc., and Manager of the Infusion Center at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, Florida, to discuss hemovigilance and how it fits into the larger culture of safety in medicine. 

Our panelists describe the complexity of data collection and how they streamline the reporting process. They weigh in on why transfusion services at every hospital should participate in hemovigilance regardless of size, discussing the benefit of being able to compare your data with that of other facilities. Listen in for insight on how hemovigilance data has inspired changes in policy and learn where you can find resources around initiating data collection systems in your lab. 

Topics Covered  

·  The concept of hemovigilance and how it fits into the larger culture of safety in medicine
·  Why data collection for hemovigilance is so complex and how standardizing forms and leveraging databases streamline the reporting process
·  The importance of developing relationships with nursing and IT to build reporting systems for transfusion medicine
·  How hemovigilance reporting is mandatory in Massachusetts and the benefit of being able to compare your facility’s data with the rest of your state
·  The value of integrating medical data systems on a national scale
·  Resources on hemovigilance to initiate data collection systems in your lab 

Connect with ASCP
ASCP
ASCP on Facebook
ASCP on Instagram
ASCP on Twitter 

Connect with Dr. Andrzejewski
Dr. Andrzejewski at Baystate Health

Connect with Ms. O’Hearn
Ms. O’Hearn on Facebook

Connect with Mr. Stein
OneBlood
Mr. Stein on LinkedIn 

Connect with Dr. Milner & Ms. Swails
Dr. Milner on Twitter
Ms. Swails on Twitter

 Resources
American Association of Blood Banks Hemovigilance Resources
AABB Quick Reference Guide for the NHSN Hemovigilance Module
Inside the Lab in the ASCP Store