Interdisciplinary process improvement for enhancing blood transfusion safety.

We describe a multipronged, multidisciplinary effort to improve the safety of blood transfusion in our hospital. System-wide practices related to the ordering, delivery, and transfusion of blood products were addressed including: (1) appropriate selection of patients and utilization of blood, (2) accurate blood product labeling and tracking, (3) reliable transportation of blood products between the transfusion service laboratory and the bedside, (4) electronic verification of patients and products at the point of transfusion, and (5) documentation of transfusion events in the patient's medical record. By implementing new technologies and focusing LEAN process improvement techniques on the preanalytical, analytical, and postanalytical phases of the transfusion cycle, we have been able to significantly reduce the risk of transfusion error in our patient population.