title: The Crossmatch/Issue Ratio:  Use of a Novel Quality Indicator and Results of an International Survey on RBC Crossmatching and Issuing Practices.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To understand the worldwide scope of RBC crossmatching and issuing practices and measure efficiency using a novel quality indicator, the crossmatch/issue (C/I) ratio.
  
  
  METHODS
  An electronic survey was disseminated to hospital transfusion services collecting details about RBC crossmatching and issuing practices. Respondents were asked to enumerate the number of RBCs crossmatched and issued at their institutions during the 2014 calendar year to calculate the C/I ratio.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-two survey responses were received, mostly from North American transfusion services (28/52, 54%). The electronic crossmatch was the most common technique (n = 29), and most respondents performed the crossmatch at the time that an order for RBCs was received in the transfusion service (even if an order to issue the RBCs was not received). Data to calculate the C/I ratio were supplied by 22 respondents, and the mean ± SD was 1.30 ± 0.34. There was no difference in C/I ratios between services that use the electronic or serologic crossmatch techniques (P = .49). The ratio was the same at the four sites that crossmatch RBCs at the time of issue compared with the time of order receipt (mean ± SD, 1.11 ± 0.09 vs. 1.35 ± 0.36, respectively; P = .19).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Electronic crossmatching is common, and the C/I ratio can be an indicator of efficiency.
authors.affiliation: From the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA The Institute for Transfusion Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA myazer@itxm.org.
authors.forename: Mark H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Yazer
authors.affiliation: Health Sciences Authority Blood Services Group, Singapore.
authors.forename: Ramir
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alcantara
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA.
authors.forename: Pouneh
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Beizai
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado Hospital, Aurora.
authors.forename: Nicole L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Draper
authors.affiliation: University of Vermont Medical Center, Burlington.
authors.forename: Sarah K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Harm
authors.affiliation: Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jose M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kutner
authors.affiliation: Lin Shin Hospital, Taichung City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Ryszard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Poglod
authors.affiliation: University of Vermont Medical Center, Burlington.
authors.forename: Thomas S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.affiliation: Southern Danish Transfusion Service, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Claess H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Sørensen
authors.affiliation: Southern Danish Transfusion Service, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Ulrik
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Sprogøe
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota Medical Center, Minneapolis.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Welbig
authors.affiliation: Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: Joyce
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yuen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA.
authors.forename: Alyssa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ziman
mesh_terms: D001788:Blood Grouping and Crossmatching / Q000379:methods*; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion; D006801:Humans; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Crossmatch; Electronic; Issue; RBC; Ratio; Serologic; Survey