| ■ Blood Transfusion Monitoring System Launched | 2010.02.19 |
| The first national surveillance system to monitor problems in patients who receive blood transfusions was announced Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hospitals are being encouraged to join the surveillance network, which will summarize data in order to learn more about how to prevent adverse events such as reactions to blood products, medical errors, and process problems. The Hemovigilance Module -- which is part of the CDC's Internet-based National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) -- was developed by the CDC in collaboration with AABB, an international association representing organizations involved in transfusion and cellular therapies. "Healthcare facilities that join the Hemovigilance Module will now have a yardstick by which to measure their current safety initiatives and their future efforts," Dr. Dan Pollock, chief of the branch that leads CDC's NHSN, said in a news release. "Through this system, healthcare facilities can also see how their performance stacks up to similar facilities nationwide, with a goal of designing the best processes to protect patients' health and reduce healthcare costs." The Hemovigilance Module will be provided at no cost to hospitals and healthcare facilities, the CDC said. |