Optimizing Utilization of Blood Products in the Hematologic Malignancy Clinic: Less Is More.
Publication/Presentation Date
6-1-2022
Abstract
PURPOSE: There are no universal guidelines for blood product transfusions in patients with hematologic malignancies (HMs). Excess utilization of platelet and RBC transfusion in patients with HM increases the cost of care and likelihood of adverse events. We aim to decrease the total number of transfused units and multiunit orders of platelets and RBCs in the HM clinic by 25% from March 2020 to December 2020.
METHODS: A multidisciplinary, interprofessional team was formed. Baseline rates of blood product utilization were determined using Qlik Analytic software. Strategies to improve utilization were developed, and three interventions were initiated. Data were collected on monthly intervals. Data for total number of platelet and RBC units ordered, total multiunit orders, average number of units ordered per encounter, and pretransfusion hemoglobin thresholds were collected from May 2019 to December 2020.
RESULTS: Through our Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles from March 2020 to December 2020, the total number of platelet transfusion orders per month decreased from 164 to 98, multiunit platelet orders decreased from 63 to 2, and the average number of platelet transfusions per encounter decreased from 1.62 to 1.03. The total number of RBC transfusion orders decreased from 172 to 141, multiunit RBC orders decreased from 25 to 16, and the average number of RBC transfusions per encounter decreased from 1.21 to 1.18.
CONCLUSION: Implementation of our multidisciplinary interventions led to more appropriate use of blood products in the outpatient setting. Ongoing efforts are underway to continue to improve utilization in the inpatient and outpatient setting.
Volume
18
Issue
6
First Page
1016
Last Page
1016
ISSN
2688-1535
Published In/Presented At
Binder, A. F., Loos, K., Xu, A., Peedin, A. R., Gergis, U., Karp, J. K., & Wilde, L. (2022). Optimizing Utilization of Blood Products in the Hematologic Malignancy Clinic: Less Is More. JCO oncology practice, 18(6), e1016–e1022. https://doi.org/10.1200/OP.21.00575
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
PubMedID
35192410
Department(s)
Department of Medicine, Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute
Document Type
Article