Patient blood management and the importance of the Transfusion Practitioner role to embed this into practice

Abstract

Patient blood management (PBM) is a widely established international initiative, with a multidisciplinary approach to reduce transfusion. The Transfusion Practitioner (TP) role is well embedded in the United Kingdom (UK) and Australia. The value of the TP in changing both culture and practice to implement an all-inclusive PBM approach to care will be discussed. The TP role was born from both a safety and haemovigilance culture, where the greatest identified risk to the patient undergoing a transfusion was human error. From this initial trigger for improved safety, the TP role has evolved to a multifaceted, highly specialised role, involved in both PBM and transfusion processes. As the transfusion paradigm shifted from product to patient, the TP role evolved to include PBM, with an emphasis on the patients and the impact transfusion has on them. A multidisciplinary team is required to drive both PBM and transfusion; the TP is recognised as a critical link in the multidisciplinary team. They are seen as a driving force for change, bridging the gap between the laboratory and clinical arenas. The TP plays a vital role in helping establish and embed PBM that improves patient and safety outcomes.

A single‐centre review of iatrogenic anaemia in adult intensive care

“…A driving factor for undertaking this study was the patient blood management (PBM) agenda in our organisation. PBM is “an evidence‐based integrated multi‐disciplinary team approach to effectively manage and conserve a patient's own blood loss, thus decreasing unnecessary exposure to transfusion.” PBM has been shown to be particularly effective in critically ill patients in an ICU setting . “Minimising blood loss” is one of the three “pillars” of PBM, the other two of which are “optimising the patient's blood” and “optimising the patient's physiological tolerance of anaemia.”…”

Disaster planning: the role of the transfusion practitioner

“…As a result, the different skill sets may lead to different parts of the disaster plan being led by the TP, whether working more closely on the laboratory provision of blood, considering the clinical requirements for blood transfusion or being part of the roll‐out team for clinical staff training, and within this the level of responsibility may differ. However, regardless of the level of responsibility and clinical background, all TPs have the core skill set of being able to communicate effectively and work as part of the multidisciplinary team, which is critical to be part of the disaster planning process .…”

A survey of transfusion practitioners in international society of blood transfusion member countries

“…The variation in qualification and profession of TPs adds diverse skills to the role, and for this reason, the TP role and their activities are often undertaken in different ways within organizations, responding to both the needs of the service and the skill set of the TP. Fundamental skills for TPs regardless of qualification or profession include clinical transfusion/PBM knowledge, change management and importantly the ability to communicate and work effectively with a multidisciplinary team .…”