The AABB Center for Patient Safety, listed as a component Patient Safety Organization (PSO) of the AABB in December 2008, is dedicated to analyzing data on adverse reactions and incidents associated with blood transfusion, in a confidential and protected environment. The goal of these analyses is to identify and communicate best practices and to design interventions to improve patient safety.

See the list of participating organizations.

The AABB Center for Patient Safety, a component PSO, operates independently of AABB and its accreditation programs.

Center for Patient Safety FAQs

* Patient safety organizations, or PSOs, are organizations dedicated to improving patient safety and the quality of health care delivery. The Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 authorizes the creation of PSOs to improve safety and quality through the collection and analysis of data on adverse events and medical errors. By providing legal privilege and confidentiality protections, PSOs create a secure environment where health care providers can report, aggregate, and analyze patient safety data that enable the identification and reduction of risks and hazards associated with patient care.

* The AABB Center for Patient Safety (CPS), listed as a component Patient Safety Organization with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in December 2008, is dedicated to patient safety through the confidential analysis of data on adverse reactions and incidents associated with blood transfusions. The goal of the AABB CPS is to identify and communicate best practices and to design interventions to improve patient safety. Over 100 hospitals have already joined, combining their data to improve patient care.

The AABB Center for Patient Safety, a component PSO, operates independently of AABB and its accreditation programs. AABB offers voluntary accreditation for all aspects of transfusion medicine, cellular therapies, transplantation, and relationship testing. AABB's Accreditation Program specifically assesses quality systems and operational areas for compliance with AABB's standards, the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations and federal guidance documents. AABB accreditation has been granted deemed status from CMS under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 to assess organizations for the following specialty/subspecialties of microbiology, chemistry, diagnostic immunology, hematology, mycology, and immunohematology activities.  Deemed status is granted to accrediting organizations that have Standards that are as stringent or more stringent that those found in federal regulations.

The Zika Virus (ZIKV) Biovigilance Network collects and reports data on blood donors with suspected ZIKV infection in the United States and Canada. Data are collected from investigational (IND) donor test results performed by nucleic acid amplification testing (NAT). The data are reported to the AABB site by facilities responsible for collecting and/or testing blood donations in the United States.

For additional information, visit Zika Virus Biovigilance Network.

The West Nile Virus (WNV) Biovigilance Network collects and reports data on donors (of blood, tissue and hematopoietic progenitor cells) with suspected WNV infection in the United States and Canada. Data are collected from donor screening test results performed by nucleic acid amplification testing (NAT). The data are reported to the AABB site by facilities responsible for collecting and/or testing virtually all blood donations in the United States and Canada.

For additional information, visit West Nile Virus Biogivilance Network.

The Chagas Disease Biovigilance Network records screening and confirmatory results from the testing of donors for antibodies to Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagas disease. Current data are being provided by those laboratories that are using tests licensed by FDA to screen blood donors for the T. cruzi antibody. These laboratories account for more than 65 percent of the total blood collected in the U.S.

For additional information, visit Chagas Biovigilance.

AABB surveys its members periodically for information about blood collection, blood and blood product transfusion, and patient blood management activities in their facilities. The results of these surveys are used to assist membership in understanding the current trends in blood collection and transfusion and to support continued development of AABB policy positions and informed decision making.

For an update on current survey activity and to view the latest blood survey report, visit AABB Blood Survey.

For more information about participation, contact hemovigilance@aabb.org.

The AABB Donor Hemovigilance Program tracks adverse reactions in blood donors with the goal of reducing the occurrence of adverse events associated with blood donation. Developed through collaboration among the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Armed Services Blood Program and the private sector — including AABB, America's Blood Centers, the American Red Cross, Blood Systems, Inc. and hospital blood collection centers — the program allows participating facilities to enter data into a web-based electronic data collection system, to analyze their facility’s donor data, to benchmark with aggregate donor hemovigilance data, and to identify trends.

Communitywide support is crucial to the success of the Donor Hemovigilance Program. By collaborating with AABB, blood centers across the country work together to help reduce adverse events associated with blood collection and improve overall donor safety.

For additional information, visit  Donor Hemovigilance.
See the participating organizations.