The U.S. Biovigilance Network has raised more than $1 million for a nationwide data collection program for the transfusion and biological therapy communities.
The program will collect and analyze data to identify trends and recommend best practices to reduce adverse reactions and incidents associated with blood transfusion and related biological therapies.
The federal government, through the Department of Health and Human Services, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has provided the platform for initial surveillance efforts through its National Healthcare Safety Network.
The U.S. Biovigilance Network will be a series of Web-based electronic surveillance systems. The two systems in development are a transfusion recipient system and a blood donor system.
Network officials say the analysis of data will lead to process improvements which may lead to new standards of quality and safety for the collection, testing, processing, storage, distribution and transfusion of blood and use of related biological therapies. It will also allow for the design of interventions that can be adopted nationally, they said.
The U.S. Biovigilance Network has commitments to participate from facilities that account for approximately 20 percent of the transfusion activity in the United States.
"To ensure the safety of America's blood supply, it is vital that we create a centralized and standardized process for reporting adverse events," said Barbee Whitaker, AABB's (formerly known as the American Association of Blood Banks) director of Data and Special Programs. "With data from the U.S. Biovigilance Network, we will be able to create a quality system that benefits patients, donors and the public health of the U.S."
The U.S. Biovigilance Network plans to launch a pilot program this fall. The first stage will be implemented in nine hospitals across the country and consist of fine-tuning the surveillance system and analyzing initial data. Additional organizations are registering to contribute data, with full participation and system launch anticipated in 2009.
The $1 million raised for the program came from private donations - including $84,000 contributed by Fenwal Inc., a medical technology provider - and will go toward initial expenses. Financing from hospitals and blood centers across the country has also been secured for the program.
"The U.S. Biovigilance Network is one of the most important initiatives to advance patient safety and reduce costs within our community," said Karen Shoos Lipton, AABB's CEO. "The financial support we have received is a powerful endorsement of the network's value and of the community's commitment to its patients and to the public health of our country. We thank our supporters for their contributions and hope others will follow the example set by their leadership."
The network is seeking an additional $2 million to complete development and implement the program.