Stanford Hospital has figured out that doing fewer blood transfusions saves lives - and millions of dollars annually. In two studies headed by Stanford's Lawrence Goodnough, MD, professor of pathology and hematology, doctors were gently nudged by a computer program to think twice before performing a blood transfusion. The impressive results were discussed in a Nature news feature published Tuesday:
The number of red-blood-cell transfusions dropped by 24% between 2009 and 2013, representing an annual savings of $1.6 million in purchasing costs alone. And as transfusion rates fell, so did mortality, average length of stay and the number patients who needed to be readmitted within 30 days of a transfusion. By simply asking doctors to think twice about transfusions, the hospital had not only reduced costs, but also improved patient outcomes.
Transfusions are common procedures in industrialized countries, but scientists are finding that they're overused. More research needs to be done to determine when, exactly, transfusions cross the line between helpful and harmful. They do save lives, but probably only for the most critically ill patients.
Decades of established practice and protocol are hard to change, though. Clinicians acting in the moment refer to their experience, not to guidelines. That's one reason Stanford's simple computer innovation is so important. Goodnough, quoted in Nature, speculates about why it succeeded: Not only did alerts remind doctors about the guidelines and provide links to the relevant literature, they forced them to slow down and think instead of running with the default. The alerts may have provided an opening for more individualized discussion among caregivers:
'Maybe the intern, who was ordering the blood because they were told to, goes back to the team and says, "I have to give a reason", and then they discuss it,' Goodnough says. The clinicians might decide to order the blood anyway, of course. Or they might stop, consider the evidence, and come to agree with what Goodnough believes is its clear message. 'The safest blood transfusion,' he says, 'is the one not given.'
Check out the article for more on the history of blood transfusions, other research into their optimal use, and new practices being pioneered around the world.
Previously: Fewer transfusions means better patient outcomes, lower mortality, Stanford Hospital trims use of blood supplies, Stanford test a landmark in the blood banking industry and Should the US create a national blood transfusion reporting system?
Related: Against the flow: What's behind the decline in blood transfusions?
Photo by Banc de Sang i Teixits
