Improving transfusion education for junior doctors; exploring UK experiences

Abstract

Current methods of transfusion education employed in the UK are unsatisfactory to ensure safe transfusion practice. Ongoing education is deemed necessary throughout career progression, and suggested improvements include increased emphasis on face-to-face teaching and simulation training. Employed educational methods and decision support tools require appropriate evaluation.

Junior doctors’ perspectives on transfusion education in Australia

“…Outcomes from this focus group were consistent with the findings of other research on transfusion eLearning in that alone it was not highly valued as a mandatory or stand-alone resource [2,9]. To help meet learners needs, eLearning should be incorporated in a blended approach with face-to-face sessions to improve knowledge and practical skills [2,18,20]. Additional methods of transfusion education are necessary to complement transfusion eLearning modules to ensure junior doctors' clinical competency in transfusion is achieved [9].…”

“…Some junior doctors were required to complete eLearning modules on clinical transfusion practice before securing employment . Outcomes from this focus group were consistent with the findings of other research on transfusion eLearning in that alone it was not highly valued as a mandatory or stand‐alone resource . To help meet learners needs, eLearning should be incorporated in a blended approach with face‐to‐face sessions to improve knowledge and practical skills .…”

“…Within the Australian blood sector, there are multiple providers of online education to Correspondence: Cindy J Flores, Australian Red Cross Blood Service, 100-154 Batman Street, West Melbourne, VIC 3003, Australia E-mail: cflores@redcrossblood.org.au support best transfusion practice [1,6,7]; however, the relevance or usefulness of these for junior doctors is unknown. Ongoing transfusion education is needed for junior doctors to ensure safe transfusion practice [2,[8][9][10]. Little is known about Australian junior doctors' existing transfusion knowledge and its application in patient care.…”

“…In the context of these knowledge gaps, this study aimed to understand the transfusion practice support education preferences of Australian junior doctors by (1) determining relevant learner-defined practice support tools and then developing these tools; and, (2) implementing and evaluating the utility of these tools. These aims were addressed in two phases: Phase 1 involved focus groups to identify the preferred learning requirements of junior doctors including any tools which would help support best practice; and, in Phase 2, a survey of the same demographic was undertaken to evaluate the tools which had been developed.…”

Can Team-Based Learning (TBL) Be Used to Deliver Postgraduate Education in Transfusion Medicine for UK Physicians?

“…Current educational methods fail to equip doctors with adequate knowledge [2][3][4] or clinical competency [5], and potentially avoidable errors often involve junior medical staff in the decision making or prescribing of blood products [1]. Current methods of delivering transfusion education don't work [6,7] and so we need new methods to effectively equip postgraduate doctors with the required competencies to enable safe transfusion practice [7].…”