An overview of state efforts to improve transfusion medicine. The New York state model.

Abstract

New York State must provide effective oversight for more than 400 facilities that provide blood services, ensuring the safety of transfusion recipients. PROGRAM STRUCTURE: Oversight is based on educated, trained program staff; a council of transfusion medicine experts; regulations governing laboratories and blood banking services; proficiency testing; requirements for reporting transfusion-related errors and incidents; tracking collection, testing, and disposition of all blood; inspections; partnership with the Food and Drug Administration; and investigation of incident reports. Policy letters and guidelines (eg, umbilical cord blood, transfusion-associated infections, intraoperative blood recovery) supplement regulations. Standards are maintained through education by a responsive, proactive oversight program. Areas warranting stricter regulation or supplemental educational guidelines are identified by periodic assessment of standards of practice and review of reported information. The multifaceted oversight program contributes to efforts to improve transfusion medicine.