title: Development of permanent national register of blood component use utilizing electronic hospital information systems.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We wanted to establish a permanent national database system, which can be utilized to study transfusion recipients and blood use in Finland.
  
  
  METHODS
  A regularly updated register for permanent use was developed. To study the usability of the database, years 2002 and 2003 were further analysed. Database included all transfused patients in major blood-transfusing hospitals from four university and five central hospital districts managing altogether 63% of Finnish inpatient hospital episodes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Audit of gathered data reveal 96.8% match in adult blood components with Finnish Red Cross, Blood Service sales figures. Model data set includes 59,535 transfused patients (44.3% men and 55.7% women) having received 529,104 blood components. Half of all blood units were transfused in connection with surgical operations. Most of the blood recipients were elderly (51.6% are over 64 years of age). Blood-component use and transfusion-related costs varied widely between hospitals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hospital data managing systems can be useful for creating a population-based database system to monitor and compare transfusion practices. This record provides information about transfusion epidemiology for transfusion professionals, hospital management, and hospital administration.
authors.affiliation: Finnish Red Cross Blood Service, Helsinki, Finland. riikka.palo@hus.fi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Palo
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ali-Melkkilä
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hanhela
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jäntti
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Krusius
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Leppänen
authors.forename: E K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Mahlamäki
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Perhoniemi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rajamäki
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rautonen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salmenperä
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Salo
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Salonen
authors.forename: E-R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Savolainen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sjövall
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suistomaa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Syrjälä
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tienhaara
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vähämurto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mäki
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016913:Blood Component Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D040362:Geographic Information Systems / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006751:Hospital Information Systems / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies