title: Nationwide survey of home transfusion practices.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Limited information exists on home transfusion practices.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 1995, a survey requesting data for 1994 was sent to 1273 American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) institutional members and 113 non-AABB home health care agencies that provide out-of-hospital transfusions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 943 respondents, 102 provide blood to a home transfusion program, 37 provide blood and run a home transfusion program, and 13 run a home transfusion program only, for a total of 152 (16%) with some involvement in home blood transfusions. Most of the 50 respondents with a home transfusion program are licensed by their state and accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. All respondents have written policies for home transfusion, and 90 percent require a signed informed-consent document before initiating transfusions in the home. Most have policies requiring that there be a second adult and a telephone in the home, that the home be deemed safe for transfusion, that the patient's physician be readily available, and that the patient have had prior transfusions. The most common component issued by the blood providers was red cells, followed by platelets. White cell-reduced components were always provided by 36 percent of respondents. The most common patient diagnosis was cancer. Home transfusions were provided primarily by registered nurses. Only 14 percent of respondents indicated that the medical director of the blood bank is responsible for approving a patient for home transfusion. A posttransfusion visit is performed by 46 percent of respondents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although most facilities have policies for the administration of home transfusions, there remains marked heterogeneity among blood providers and transfusionists regarding home transfusion practices.
authors.affiliation: H. Lee Moffit Cancer Center and the University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa 33612, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Benson
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Popovsky
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hines
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hume
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Oberman
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Glassman
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Pisciotto
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Thurer
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stehling
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000451:nursing / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018718:Home Infusion Therapy / Q000451:nursing / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D016365:Liability, Legal; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D000078329:Workforce