To keep clinicians up to date with best transfusion practice, WCBS is implementing a series of transfusion education poster campaigns targeted at blood users. The poster topics have been guided by recommendations in the 2021 South African haemovigilance report, which identifies areas of concern in blood usage and transfusion reaction trends.
The first poster was distributed in May and highlights the need to use blood responsibly and blood return acceptance criteria. Watch the digital “Use blood responsibly” poster below and if you would like to subscribe to future digital posters, click here. Please feel free to share the digital poster with your colleagues in the Western Cape.
Blood users can also expect to see printed versions of these posters in the near future. WCBS will provide size A3 snapper frames and laminated posters on request from the healthcare facility. The posters should ideally be mounted in every ward that uses blood and blood products, as well as staff tearooms. Thus far, a total of 224 posters and frames have been distributed to 37 facilities situated in the Western Cape.
WCBS will track the effectiveness of the poster campaign by conducting a pre-poster survey to assess blood users’ knowledge. Those with incorrect answers will be reassessed afterwards to identify if exposure to the poster has improved their knowledge. We will also monitor whether the poster campaign reduces the number of blood ordering non-conformances at the facilities where it is implemented.
For more information about the transfusion education poster campaigns, contact Hayley Alie, Hospital Liaison Officer. (hayleya@wcbs.org.za)
