Audit of blood bank services with emphasis on loss of workforce

Abstract

Purpose: The goal of blood bank audit is to continuously improve services to the patients by reducing rework, wastage, and inappropriate care. This can be done by establishing certain quality indicators. The rate of discarded blood and its components due to wastage, expiry, and transfusion-transmitted infection are one of such indicator. Design: Retrospective data on the number of whole blood, components prepared, and discarded were collected from the blood bank information system and analyzed. Results: During the study period, the total number of blood and components prepared were 3922. Out of which, a total of 226 units (5.76%) were discarded. In order to alleviate the shortage of blood, we should do intermittent auditing, quality monitoring, thorough evaluation and training of staff, proper management of the resources, and workforce.

Keywords

• audit
• blood bank
• discard
• expiry
• financial loss
• workforce loss
• quality indicators
• transfusion-transmitted infection
• wastage