Home transfusion therapy: a new dimension in home care

Visiting Nurse Service, Inc (VNS), of Akron, Ohio, has provided transfusion therapy in the home since January 1984. Home transfusion has proved a valuable alternative to inpatient treatment and to expensive, exhausting ambulance trips to the hospital for outpatient treatment for selected homebound patients, many of whom are terminally ill. The VNS program is based on detailed policies and procedures that include patient referral criteria, RN education, patient education, blood procurement and labelling, and protocols for transfusion complications. Recognizing the need for patient safety, VNS has a quality assurance program that provides for continuous monitoring and evaluation of the home transfusion therapy, especially of any adverse reactions that occur.