CDC Africa/Caribbean Cooperative Agreement Project
Program Code: 214-CEO
Sunday, October 16, 2005
10:30 AM to 12:00 PM (ET)

MODERATOR
James Reilly, AABB Division of International Technical Assistance

SPEAKERS
Anthon Heyns, MD, DSc, South African National Blood Service
Clement McEwan, MD, National Blood Transfusion Service
Jack Nyamongo, MD, National Blood Transfusion Service, Kenya
Juels Hudo

DESCRIPTION
In accordance with AABB Standards and JCAHO requirements, hospitals are required to monitor their transfusion practices. Transfusion practice is part of the national emphasis on patient safety. The transfusion committee is usually charged with these responsibilities. Through lecture format, this program will first look at published reports of the impact of a variety of interventions to influence transfusion practice. The program will describe two different university based transfusion committees, looking at their organization, the data they track, and the strategies they use to give feedback to transfusing physicians. The role of the transfusion committee as an agent of meeting the goals of national patient safety initiatives will be explored. The use of the transfusion committee to serve as the impetus for a blood reduction program to improve patient outcomes and improve resource utilization will be discussed in detail. One speaker will speak from the viewpoint of a Transfusion Service director, and another from the perspective of a transfusing physician.