eCardioVascular Beat

Blood management: better quality for patients and better savings

Providence’s Portland Service Area has been developing a blood management program over the past few years.

This program includes a multidisciplinary work group that comprises physicians, nurses, blood bank and surgical personnel, and pharmacy and quality staff. The goal is to ensure safe and efficient use of blood products.

Blood management

• Improves patient safety and outcomes by minimizing exposure to blood products
• Reduces risk of hospital complications and infections
• Reduces hospital length of stay
• Reduces unnecessary patient care and hospital care costs

The work group recently released revised RBC transfusion guidelines. These guidelines are based on best practices from literature and local and national standards.