Electronic enhancements to blood ordering reduce component waste

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Informatics
• Transfusion Medicine
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Investigated the impact of enhanced clinician ordering capabilities for blood products within a computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system.
• Examined component wastage across a multihospital network.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effect of electronic enhancements in the CPOE system on blood product wastage.
• To evaluate the reduction in wastage of specific blood components.

Main Methods:

• Introduced a novel CPOE field for reserving red blood cell (RBC) units and electronic communication with the blood bank.
• Required nurse confirmation of patient readiness before blood product issuance.
• Compared wastage rates in Phase 2 (electronic enhancements) with Phase 1 (non-CPOE campaign) and baseline periods.

Main Results:

• Significant reductions in platelet (PLT) waste were observed between baseline and Phase 1, and between Phase 2 and both prior periods.
• Annual systemwide cost savings of approximately $123,300 in wasted PLTs were achieved between baseline and Phase 2.
• Significant reductions in RBC waste occurred between Phase 2 and both Phase 1 and baseline.
• Reduced cryoprecipitate waste was noted between Phase 2 and baseline, with no change in plasma waste.

Conclusions:

• A multifaceted approach integrating CPOE enhancements and electronic communication effectively reduced blood product wastage.
• Significant reductions in wastage were achieved for RBCs, PLTs, and cryoprecipitate.
• The study highlights the success of technological interventions in optimizing blood bank inventory management and reducing costs.