Quality of Care Report - Ballarat Health Services

What Happens If YouNeed a BloodTransfusionMaximising SafetyThe risks associated with bloodtransfusion are recognisedinternationally, and attention hasfocused on programs to improve thequality and safety of hospitaltransfusion practices. Ballarat HealthServices participates in the BloodMatters, Better Safer TransfusionProgram run by the Department ofHuman Services and employs aTransfusion Nurse to overseetransfusion practices and education ofstaff.One area of transfusion risk that ismonitored regularly is adherence to thepre-transfusion blood sample policy.The collection of the pre-transfusionblood sample for compatibility testingis the beginning of a complex chain ofImproving Care forOlder People (IC4OP)Council of Australian GovernmentsLong Stay Older Patients (COAG LSOP)is a four year statewide initiative thatfocuses on improving care for olderpeople, particularly in rural areas. Theinitiative aims to prevent avoidablehospital admissions; the focus is onimproving the care older people receiveand to minimise their risk of leavinghospital with a lower level offunctioning than they had prior to theirhospitalization. Together theseinitiatives aim to prevent older peoplestaying in hospital longer thannecessary and avoid the potential forresidential care. The project will addressall areas of caring for the older patientthrough the acute hospital stay and isfunded until June 2010.Ballarat Health Services has been theDementia lead in a Victorian Dementiaproject and has developed a Dementiacare in hospital support pack thathighlights the importance of involvingthe carer/s in the care planning. The1614121086420Number of Pre-Transfusion Blood Samples Rejected by LaboratoryJan-Jul 2008January February March April May June Julyevents in the process of clinicaltransfusion. If an error in patientidentification is made at this step it canlead on to the patient receivingincompatible blood or blood meant foranother patient. BHS and DorevitchPathology have policies in place thatmeet national and internationalguidelines to ensure that patient /sample errors do not occur. Anypackage includes an “Information forCarers of Patients with Memory andThinking Difficulties – a guide tohospital” brochure and an informationabout” ME “ form for the carer to fillin that gives hospital staff informationand an understanding of the patient’susual dementia behaviours, which willassist with their in hospital careplanning.Over the next two years the IC4OPproject at Ballarat Health Services willbe concentrating on better assessmentof people over 65 while in hospital andsample received in the laboratory thatdoes not meet these requirements isdiscarded and a repeat sample isrequested. Although the number ofrepeat blood samples requested aresmall (varying from 4 in January 2008to a high of 14 in March 2008), theZero Tolerance Policy that is in placeensures that the patient is not put atrisk.making the hospital journey morepatient centred allowing patients andtheir carers to be more involved in theirown care pathway.The IC4OP project will emphasise theimportance of involving ‘carers’ in allaspects of care planning for thepatient while in an acute hospital caresetting and will lead to a reduction ofstress for the older patient, carers andhospital staff. Carers can have peace ofmind when leaving their loved one inthe care of Ballararat Health Services.The dementia care package includes information for carers of patients with memory loss andthinking difficultiesBallarat Health Services Quality of Care Report 2007-08 36