U.S. BIOVIGILANCE NETWORK
Hemovigilance Systems Spotlighted at AABB Annual Meeting
The two hemovigilance systems developed as a result of the U.S. Biovigilance Network's public-private partnerships — the Hemovigilance Module of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Healthcare Safety Network and the Donor Hemovigilance System — were key features of the 2011 AABB Annual Meeting and CTTXPO held recently in San Diego. Demonstrations of both systems were conducted at the Biovigilance Pavilion, where AABB personnel provided information regarding enrollment in the association's Transfusion Safety Group within the NHSN Hemovigilance Module and AABB's Patient and Donor Safety Center, or PDSC, a patient safety organization. Facilities are encouraged to join AABB's group and PDSC to receive support with their hemovigilance efforts and to participate in targeted intervention analyses. Those interested should visit the association's website or contact Barbee Whitaker, PhD, director of AABB's Patient and Donor Safety Center, at +1.301.215.6574 or by email.
Growth of Biovigilance in U.S. Discussed at AABB Annual Meeting
During its 2011 Annual Meeting educational program, AABB conducted a session, titled "Biovigilance Updates and Information You Can Use" (9230-TC), providing an overview of U.S. biovigilance activities and reports from hospitals and blood centers that have implemented hemovigilance programs. CDC's Matthew Kuehnert, MD, FACP, discussed the steps taken to bridge the gaps in U.S. biovigilance activities, including the development of the CDC's NHSN Hemovigilance Module. Nanci Fredrich, RN, BSN, MM, of the BloodCenter of Wisconsin, described her role as a blood center-based transfusion safety officer helping to implement recipient hemovigilance at her hospitals. Beverly Collins, MT(ASCP)SBB, of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, discussed the implementation of the Hemovigilance Module at her facility, noting that one of the keys to success was having blood bank physician support. Mary Townsend, MD, of Coffee Memorial Blood Center, described her facility's participation in the Donor Hemovigilance System of the U.S. Biovigilance Network. A summary of the session is available on the AABB website.
An "Ask the Biovigilance Experts" session also was included among the biovigilance-related events. At the session, attendees were given the opportunity to ask questions in real time as well as to hear answers to questions submitted online. Handouts and online synchronized sessions from the Annual Meeting are available through the AABB Live Learning Center.
AABB Awarded Contract To Conduct 2011 NBCUS, Seeks Pilot Sites
AABB was recently awarded the contract for conducting the 2011 National Blood Collection and Utilization Survey, or NBCUS. The goal of the survey is to gather reliable, accurate estimates of national and regional blood collections and information on utilization and safety of all blood, tissue and stem cell products from peripheral blood, cord blood and bone marrow origins in the United States. The survey can be completed electronically or on paper for submission.
Awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, NBCUS includes the collection of information on biovigilance and patient blood management activities. AABB will accumulate, tabulate and analyze responses and prepare a comprehensive 2011 survey report.
AABB is seeking three to five volunteer sites, including cellular therapy facilities, to pilot the survey later this year. For more information, individuals should contact Barbee Whitaker, PhD, director of AABB's Center for Data and Special Programs, at +1.301.215.6574 or by email.
RECIPIENT SYSTEM
CDC Holds Training Session on NHSN Hemovigilance Module
CDC hosted a training session on the NHSN Hemovigilance Module in San Diego just prior to the 2011 AABB Annual Meeting and CTTXPO. Attended by more than 60 individuals from hospitals across the country, the all-day event, with lunch supported by Fenwal Inc., provided comprehensive training for the system. A summary of the session has been posted on the AABB website. Speakers included Matthew J. Kuehnert, MD, FACP, director of the Office of Blood, Organ and Other Tissue Safety at CDC; Alexis Harvey, MSPH, a CDC health scientist; Kathleen Puca, MD, medical director of the BloodCenter of Wisconsin; and Linda Hahn, vice president of Clinical Services at the Institute for Transfusion Medicine. More information or assistance with joining the CDC NHSN Hemovigilance Module can be obtained by visiting the NHSN website or contacting NHSN user support staff.
CDC Releases NHSN Version 6.5 With Important Updates to the Hemovigilance Module
CDC has made several enhancements to the Hemovigilance Module of the National Healthcare Safety Network. The updates, incorporated in NHSN version 6.5, include a location code for "Centralized Transfusion Services," so that events happening in central laboratories can be reported into the system by participating facilities. Also, blood product codes have been updated and a gender category of "Other" has been added. Hospitals currently using or those interested in joining the NHSN Hemovigilance Module should visit the CDC website for updated materials.
AABB Holds Hemovigilance 'Safe Table' at Annual Meeting
AABB held a "Safe Table" meeting where hospitals collaborated on important hemovigilance-related patient safety issues at the 2011 Annual Meeting. The Safe Table is a private forum open only to facilities that have signed a confidentiality agreement and are members of AABB's Patient and Donor Safety Center, or PDSC. Member hospitals of AABB's PDSC receive support for their hemovigilance efforts and contribute to targeted intervention analyses in the area of transfusion medicine through participation in the AABB Transfusion Safety Group, whose purpose is to provide recommendations for enhancements to patient safety at its member facilities. Additional confidential PDSC meetings and conference calls are in the planning stages.
Those interested in joining AABB's PDSC or who have topics to recommend for calls and meetings should contact Barbee Whitaker, PhD, director of AABB's Patient and Donor Safety Center and the Center for Data and Special Programs, at +1.301.215.6574 or by email.
Upcoming Audioconference To Focus on the NHSN Hemovigilance Module Data Reporting
A free audioconference hosted by AABB on Dec. 14 will focus on reporting data into the NHSN Hemovigilance Module. Topics include hemovigilance incident reporting and adverse reaction data collection and entry. Facilities can register on the AABB website. Questions may be directed to the Center for Data and Special Programs at AABB, by phone at +1.301.215.6588 or by email.
Reminder: Guide Available To Help Member Hospitals Join AABB's NHSN Group
AABB offers a step-by-step guide, "Getting Started With Hemovigilance," to help hospitals join the association's Transfusion Safety Group within the National Healthcare Safety Network. In addition to providing instructions for joining AABB's group, the guide describes the benefits of participating in a national hemovigilance program. Enrolling in AABB's group and Patient and Donor Safety Center, a patient safety organization, gives each hospital the opportunity to participate in targeted intervention analyses and will help further propel quality improvement efforts at the facility. Additional information on hemovigilance, including the U.S. Biovigilance Network, is available on the AABB website.
DONOR SYSTEM
Donor HART System Software Enhanced; Individuals Encouraged To Sign Up for System Training
A new version of the software for the Web-based Donor Hemovigilance Analysis and Reporting Tool, or Donor HART, has been created. Among the enhancements, system administrators can now define a group of reporting centers. The ability to define a group not only allows each member of the defined group to see the aggregate reports for the group, it also establishes the foundation for implementing a national-level reporting system where "nation" functions as a "super group" with additional confidentiality control and validation. As part of the enhanced security functionality added with this release, pilot sites currently using the system will be asked to reset their passwords and update their email addresses when they first log on.
The Donor Hemovigilance System, soon to be opened to all blood collection centers, is used to track and reduce the occurrence of adverse events associated with blood donation by allowing participating facilities to enter data related to donor reactions and denominator data for donors into a Web-based electronic data collection system. The system has sufficient flexibility to accommodate different data-entry methods and to allow for partial data submission. Blood collection center personnel are encouraged to sign up and undergo system training. Enrollment materials, including training documents, are available on the AABB website.
IN THE NEWS
Holmberg Leaves HHS, Joins Novartis
Jerry Holmberg, PhD, senior adviser for blood policy and executive secretary for the Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability, has left the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to become director of Scientific Affairs at Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics. At Novartis, he is responsible for all aspects of the global scientific affairs function, including the development and execution of key scientific strategies. Holmberg brings more than 30 years of experience in laboratory medicine, including blood bank operations, education and policy. He has played a critical role in leading key initiatives dealing with biovigilance and national preparedness. He also has been at the forefront of efforts to eliminate the risk of transfusion-transmitted diseases and emerging infectious diseases in the blood supply. In 2009 Holmberg received the President's Award from AABB for his leadership in biovigilance.
Holmberg recently spoke with Jamie Blietz, MBA, CAE, director of AABB's National Blood Exchange, to discuss various topics, including his new role in the private sector, what he sees as the top three issues for transfusion medicine and cellular therapy professionals, and the future of biovigilance, including public-private partnerships in the field.
October Issue of AABB News Explores the Evolution of Global Biovigilance
The October issue of AABB News focuses on the global expansion of biovigilance. One feature story highlights how countries and international organizations are working together to develop programs for ensuring the safety of cells, tissues and organs and standardizing the reporting methodology for transplant-related adverse outcomes. A second feature article explores the benefits of implementing a "just culture," a work environment that promotes learning from mistakes and where medical providers feel safe reporting events without fear of negative repercussions.
Recipient and Donor Hemovigilance Systems Featured in College of American Pathologists Publication
The College of American Pathologists recently featured the national recipient and donor hemovigilance systems in its publication CAP Today. The article describes the development of the U.S. Biovigilance Network, CDC's NHSN Hemovigilance Module, and the Donor Hemovigilance System. In the article, Katharine Downes, MD, of University Hospitals Case Medical Center, explains how her facility's participation in CDC's NHSN Hemovigilance Module helped her teaching institution educate residents and fellows about adverse reactions. It also helped attending physicians standardize their approach to classifying and categorizing reactions. Downes also notes that the biovigilance initiative aligns with her facility's "multiyear initiative to transform pathology by promoting the role of the pathologist as a critical member of the patient care team."
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