National Haemovigilance
The National Blood Authority (NBA) has developed the reporting and governance frameworks for a voluntary haemovigilance program for Australia. It reports on serious transfusion related adverse events occurring in public and private hospitals.
National Safety and Quality Health Service Standard 7 on Blood and Blood Products requires health service organisations to ensure that adverse events are included in their incident management and investigation systems, and that they participate in haemovigilance activities conducted at state or national levels.
The NBA’s national haemovigilance program is advised by the Haemovigilance Advisory Committee. The Haemovigilance Advisory Committee comprises experts in transfusion medicine, science, nursing and epidemiology from both the private and public health care sectors. This group provides advice to governments on adverse event reporting originating from health service organisations and on national transfusion safety priorities. The committee also oversees the national reporting and governance frameworks.
The NBA is a member of the International Haemovigilance Network (IHN) and coordinates Australia's contribution to the ISTARE international database.
These initiatives will contribute to our understanding of peri-transfusion errors, and will incrementally improve safety and quality, and ultimately deliver better transfusion outcomes.
National Haemovigilance Report
Australian Haemovigilance Report – Released 29 July 2010
The Australian Haemovigilance Report 2010 has been developed by the NBA in conjunction with the Haemovigilance Advisory Committee (HAC), and describes adverse transfusion events reported in a number of States and Territories during July 2008 – June 2009.
Initial Australian Haemovigilance Report – Released 26 February 2008
The Initial Australian Haemovigilance Report has been developed by the NBA in conjunction with the Haemovigilance Project Working Group (HPWG), and describes adverse transfusion events reported in a number of States and Territories over three-to-five years.
National Haemovigilance Data Dictionary
The National Haemovigilance Data Dictionary has been developed by the Haemovigilance Advisory Committee (HAC) and the NBA to establish data definitions for the National Haemovigilance Data Set and to define the format of the data elements in the Data Set.
For more information
- Email haemovigilance [at] blood [dot] gov [dot] au (subject: Haemovigilance%20Enquiry)
Australian Haemovigilance Information and Programs
- NSW Clinical Excellence Commission
The key role of the Clinical Excellence Commission is building capacity for quality and safety improvements in Health Services, including, promoting and monitoring the clinical quality and safety performances of public health organisations such as the blood industry. - NSW Health Blood Watch
A program initiated by the NSW Clinical Excellence Commission as a state-wide transfusion medicine improvement program. - Queensland Blood Management Program
A program established to ensure the Queensland Government meets its obligations under the National Blood Agreement. It provides links to fact sheets, guidelines and business initiatives related to the management of blood and blood products. - Queensland Health Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Service
A service designed to maximise best-practice outcomes and minimise patient harm through a series of safety systems, education and consultancy. - Queensland Incidents in Transfusion (QiiT) Program
In order to meet Queensland Health’s obligations to promote safe use of blood products under the National Blood Agreement the Queensland Blood Management Program (QBMP) has commenced rollout of a state-wide Haemovigilance system, the QiiT Program. - South Australian Department of Health BloodSafe Program
BloodSafe is a blood transfusion safety and quality improvement collaboration between the South Australian Department of Health, Transfusion Medicine Services of the Australian Red Cross Blood Service and South Australian public and private hospitals and their transfusion service providers. - Victorian Blood Matters Better Safer Transfusion Program
A Victorian state government program for improving the quality and safety of hospital transfusion care to patients. The work of the Blood Matters program is supported by the Blood Matters Advisory Committee. - Blood Matters Advisory Committee
The committee has been established to improve outcomes in patients requiring blood product transfusion in Victorian hospitals by enhancing the safety and appropriateness of blood and blood product use.
International Haemovigilance Information and Programs
- International Haemovigilance Network
This web site provides access to documents, news, links and contact details for the network.
The NBA Principal Medical Officer represents Australia on this network. - New Zealand Blood Service. Haemovigilance Program
This link enables users to read and download the Haemovigilance newsletter, notification form and user guide as well as the Haemovigilance Program annual reports. These reports provide information on the adverse events associated with transfusion in New Zealand. They assist health professionals to better understand the risks associated with transfusion and to communicate these to potential recipients. - Serious Hazards of Transfusion (SHOT) (UK)
This site provides an overview of the UK Serious Hazards of Transfusion (SHOT) program. Annual Haemovigilance reports can be found under the 'SHOT Reports and Summaries' tab located on the left hand side of the screen. - Transfusion Transmitted Injuries Surveillance System (TTISS) (Canada).
This site provides an overview of the Canadian Transfusion Transmitted Injuries Section. Annual Haemovigilance reports can be found under 'National TTI Surveillance System (TTISS) - Program Reports'. - Transfusion Quality Management (TRaQ) Program (Canada)
The TRaQ program promotes quality improvement among transfusion medicine professionals through timely sharing of education and quality management information related to current practices and guidelines in transfusion medicine. This web site includes access to TRaQ manuals and multiple education tools, resource library, interactive case studies and regulatory information. Industry news, job postings, events calendar and information from industry partners is also included.
