As part of your understanding of patient safety I would like you to be aware of 3 websites:

1. Triple Aim in HealthCare from the Institute of HealthCare Improvement. http://www.ihi.org/engage/initiatives/TripleAim/Pages/default.aspx (Links to an external site.)

2. The American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) most widely known initiative called “Choosing Wisely” https://www.choosingwisely.org/ (Links to an external site.).

The mission of Choosing Wisely is to promote conversations between clinicians and patients by helping patients choose care that is:

• Supported by evidence
• Not duplicative of other tests or procedures already received
• Free from harm
• Truly necessary

On the Choosing Wisely website, I entered the word “transfusion” in the search box and received the following link for your awareness: https://www.choosingwisely.org/clinician-lists/#keyword=transfusions (Links to an external site.)

There is wide variation among medical practitioners regarding their knowledge about risks of transfusions, alternatives to transfusion and subsequently delivering this information to their patients. The “Choosing Wisely” website allows transfusion medicine experts, the opportunity to provide to ordering physicians, evidence and education and then subsequently better patient outcomes. Thus we should be moving towards informed “choice” vs informed “consent”.

1. The Patient Safety Network website discusses High Reliability in healthcare. https://www.psnet.ahrq.gov/primer/high-reliability (Links to an external site.)

There are wide range of PBM programs and transfusion committees, however, The Blood Bank Guy website has a podcast entitled, “Building the Perfect Transfusion Committee with Carolyn Burns” which provides the latest information regarding a patient centered PBM to ensure patient safety. https://www.bbguy.org/2020/04/27/083/ (Links to an external site.)

On the discussion board please post your answer to question 1:

1. With 100 – 150 words do you feel, if a facility provides transfusions and does not have a patient safety centered PBM program, are they subsequently providing substandard care?   15 points

  2. After posting your opinion to question 1, please review your classmates’ opinions, and comment with 25 – 50 words on one classmate’s posting from the previous statement   5 points