title: American Society for Apheresis white paper: considerations for medical staff apheresis medicine physician credentialing and privileging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Physician supervision of apheresis contributes to safe and high-quality patient care. Literature is limited regarding the requirements for hospital privileges of physicians providing apheresis services. This report provides recommendations from the American Society for Apheresis (ASFA) regarding this topic.
  
  
  METHODS
  The ASFA Public Affairs Committee was charged by the society's Board of Directors (BOD) to work collaboratively with other ASFA committees to develop guidance pertaining to requirements for hospital privileges of physicians in apheresis medicine. After review of the literature and discussions with members from diverse practice environments, draft guidance was created and circulated among pertinent parties for comment and revision. The final document, approved by the BOD in 2011, is presented herein.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Assurance of patient safety was the paramount focus in the deliberations. Establishment and maintenance of physician competency in the discipline of apheresis medicine, and the documentation thereof, were consensus priorities. The importance of care teams involving non-physicians and the support structures within hospitals were also identified as other important contributors to patient safety.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patient safety during therapeutic apheresis involves both practitioners' and institutional provision of care aspects. Physician training experiences, medical licensing, and board certification status, along with continuing medical education and participation in risk management/patient safety projects are characteristic facets of physician competency in the provision of quality apheresis medicine interventions. Documentation of such indicators may help in medical staff deliberations regarding physician privileging in the oversight and management of apheresis medicine activities in hospitals.
authors.affiliation: Transfusion and Apheresis Medicine Services, Department of Pathology, Baystate Medical Center, Baystate Health, Springfield, Massachusetts 01199, USA. chester.andrzejewski@bhs.org
authors.forename: Chester
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Andrzejewski
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Linz
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hofmann
authors.forename: Una
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: O'Doherty
authors.forename: Richard S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Gowthami M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Arepally
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Golden
mesh_terms: D001781:Blood Component Removal; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003253:Consultants; D003406:Credentialing / Q000592:standards*; D004282:Documentation / Q000592:standards; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D006801:Humans; D008504:Medical Staff Privileges / Q000592:standards*; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000592:standards*; D061214:Patient Safety / Q000592:standards; D008486:Physician Executives / Q000592:standards; D012955:Societies, Medical / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States