Effective implementation of a patient blood management programme for platelets

Area of Science:

• Transfusion Medicine
• Healthcare Management
• Hematology

Background:

• Patient blood management (PBM) is a multidisciplinary, evidence-based strategy to optimize patient care requiring blood transfusion.
• PBM aims to ensure appropriate use of blood products, minimize wastage, and reduce costs.
• While PBM often focuses on red blood cells, PBM initiatives for platelets (PBM-P) are crucial in Transfusion Medicine.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement a patient blood management (PBM) programme specifically for platelet transfusions.
• To enhance the appropriate utilization of blood components, thereby reducing wastage and generating cost savings.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a dedicated platelet coordinator role in optimizing platelet use within a hospital setting.

Main Methods:

• A service improvement program was implemented utilizing a 'platelet coordinator' (PBM-Pc) role.
• The initiative focused on optimizing platelet use in a large, complex tertiary care hospital within the National Health Service (NHS).
• Data were collected and analyzed over an 18-month period to assess the impact of the PBM-P program.

Main Results:

• Sustained improvement in compliance with British Committee for Standards in Haematology (BCSH) guidelines was observed.
• Appropriate platelet use increased by 17% (prophylactic), 23% (pre-procedure), and 18% (peri-procedure).
• Despite increased patient activity, platelet issues and costs decreased by 21% over 18 months, demonstrating significant financial savings and reduced wastage.

Conclusions:

• The implemented PBM-P model proved efficacious in achieving effective platelet stewardship.
• This model for optimizing platelet transfusion management can be successfully replicated in other NHS settings.
• The study highlights the value of specialized roles like the platelet coordinator in improving transfusion practices.