Implementing bedside electronic transfusion checks at Barts Health NHS Trust: A study protocol for evaluating the effectiveness and value for money.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the benefits of implementing Bedside Electronic Transfusion Checks (BETC) to patients and value for money at four hospitals at Barts Health NHS Trust.

Background: BETC aims to enhance transfusion safety by reducing errors associated with positive patient identification checks for compatibility, blood sample labelling, and blood component administration. There is limited evidence on the potential benefits to patients and healthcare professionals as well as value for money for implementing BETC.

Methods: The BETC implementation at four hospitals adopted a non-randomised, staggered, multi-phase strategy. Alongside the implementation, an evaluation study was conducted. The intervention consists of a portable handheld scanning device and a mobile printer used for printing labels that are attached to the compatibility blood bottles and for verifying the patient's details against blood units prior to blood administration. Eligible patients are those who received blood transfusions or had compatibility tests performed during the evaluation period. The outcomes for evaluation include transfusion-related errors and cost savings from an NHS perspective. Regression-based time-series intervention analyses will be applied to evaluate the impacts of BETC implementation.

Expected results: The three-year evaluation includes a 12-month pre-implementation period (May 2022 to April 2023) and a 24-month implementation period (May 2023 to April 2025). All staff involved with bedside transfusion were trained on the new system. Data were collected from different transfusion datasets, process mapping dataset, and Health Economics Inventory dataset.

Discussion: Findings from this evaluation study will provide empirical evidence on the effectiveness and value for money of implementing BETC and will support decision-making for its wider roll-out in the UK.