ABSTRACT

We aimed to evaluate the effects of the application of the electronic blood tracking system and transfusion nursing on the transfusion process.

Blood transfusion tracking forms were included in the hospital information Management System (HIMS) in July 2015 and the users were able to electronically record all data, including order, approval, transfusion tracking, and destruction and reaction notification. The transfusion nurse in the blood center followed the processes and gave feedback. Nurses were periodically trained on transfusion, unintended events and reaction reporting. The effects of this application were evaluated based on 36 months of pooled data.

With the electronic registration application, the location of the blood products could be tracked via the HIMS. During this 36-month period, 401 in-house and in-clinic trainings were conducted in our hospital; there was a statistically significant increase in the feedback rates in 2016 (p=0.006), and this increase continued in 2017 (p=0.049); the increase in the first period was more prominent (p=0.010). It was observed that the number of inappropriate cases decreased. There was a decrease blood product transfer time in 2017 compared to 2016 (p=0.036).

Electronic recording of all transfusion processes in hospitals, in which a large number of blood transfusions are performed, can increase the safety of transfusion and transfusion feedback.