This project will encourage best European practice on the optimal use of blood components and therapeutic practice.

This project addresses the quality and safety of blood, proposes best practice, and supports European legislation in the field of quality and safety of blood.

A questionnaire study will be conducted to determine current therapeutic practice. The outcome of the study will be reviewed and will subsequently be used to inform the development of a manual.

The project will:
develop a manual to encourage best European practice on the optimal use of blood components and therapeutic practice;
produce a manual containing:
— methods for monitoring and understanding hospital processes that determine whether or not a patient receives the correct blood component, correctly transfused at the right time;
— methods for training hospital staff who are essential to safe therapeutic transfusion practice;
— methods for obtaining, analysing and presenting to clinicians comparative information on the quantities of blood components transfused for similar procedures.