AM25-MN-09-L - Expanding Access, Ensuring Safety: Best Practices in Out-of-Hospital Transfusion

This session addresses the growing practice of out-of-hospital blood transfusion (OOHT), a practice offering significant patient benefits but also presenting unique challenges. Robust guidelines and protocols are essential for safe and effective blood product delivery in non-traditional settings. This session will explore both the benefits and challenges of OOHT programs, and share best practices and lessons learned from successful OOHT program implementations. We will describe transfusions in medical clinic infusion areas as well as remote transfusions as part of pre-hospital (paramedic/ambulance) services and the possibility of in-home transfusions.
The University of Chicago Medicine Blood Bank faced increasing expectations for OOHT from hospital leadership. We needed to balance staffing constraints with increasing demands as well as the challenge of ensuring equipment availability and staff training. We have evolved to offer OOHT at three medical clinic infusion sites and have standardized transfusion practices across off-site locations, prioritized high-quality patient care, developed comprehensive policies and procedures for future off-site transfusion sites, and ultimately obtained AABB accreditation for OOHT. This pioneering accreditation under AABB Standards is a significant achievement. Future directions include expanding accreditation to additional off-site locations, seeking accreditation for pre-hospital transfusion services under updated AABB Standards, and continuously evaluating and improving protocols to enhance patient care and safety.
This session will provide valuable insights into navigating the challenges and opportunities of OOHT programs. By sharing experiences and best practices, we aim to foster collaboration and innovation in out-of-hospital blood transfusion, ultimately improving patient outcomes and expanding access to these essential services.