title: Practical aspects of out-of-hospital transfusion.
abstract: Out-of-hospital transfusion (OOHT) occurs in nontraditional settings, such as a patient's home, a physician's office, or a convalescent facility. Requests to issue components for OOHT present new challenges to some blood centers and transfusion services that are accustomed to issuing blood for use only in the hospital setting. Concerns about patient safety, a paucity of practical information on establishing programs, and a lack of specific practice guidelines may discourage some organizations from offering these services. Participation in OOHT programs, however, may present new patient care and customer service opportunities to blood centers and transfusion services. The purpose of this article is to familiarize readers with the essential elements for establishing a safe program. Relevant regulatory, legal, and financial issues are also addressed.
authors.affiliation: Blood Bank of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, CA 92412-5729, USA.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Fridey
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D001771:Blood Banks / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D002140:California; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D017751:Safety Management; D065227:Transfusion Reaction