title: Red alert - a new perspective on patterns of blood use in the South Australian public sector.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In 2006 South Australia had a red cell issue rate, measured as product issues per 1000 population, 22.4% higher than the national average. A pilot study was undertaken to investigate the disparity in issue rates between SA and the national average with a secondary aim of establishing information on SA red cell use.
  
  
  METHODS
  A linked electronic database was developed using clinical, epidemiological and red cell transfusion data within hospitals in the SA public sector. Aggregated red cell use across the SA public health sector was analysed by clinical variables such as Diagnosis Related Group (DRG), including specialty related groups (SRGs) and major diagnostic categories (MDCs). The DRGs that were associated with blood use were identified and applied to national hospital separations data in order to derive comparative blood utilisation rates for SA and Australia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although blood issue and usage by population measure showed a significant difference of 22.4 and 22.0% respectively between SA and Australia, when measured against weighted separations the differences reduced to 7.4 and 7.1% respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed the importance of analysing blood issues and utilisation on an activity adjusted basis rather than a raw per capita basis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, SA, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia. rachel.allden@health.sa.gov.au
authors.forename: Rachel L W
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Allden
authors.forename: Romi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sinha
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Roxby
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ireland
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hakendorf
authors.forename: Kathryn L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019992:Databases as Topic; D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D017150:Public Sector; D013021:South Australia