RFID blood-tracking moves closer

Plans to track blood transfusions 'from vein to vein' using RFID technology have taken a step forward.

The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has published its IT recommendations relating to the electronic tracking system for patients and blood, with the issue of an outline specification for an Electronic Clinical Transfusion Management System (ECTMS).

This national specification has been developed to address the patient safety risks in the transfusion process and provide an initial specification for IT suppliers, which can then be extended to cover other clinical tracking operations.

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ECTMS will need to integrate with server hardware, client devices and remote terminals, according to the NPSA.

The specification covers the automated tracking of blood products from 'vein to vein' - from the initial ordering of a blood transfusion for a patient, through the taking of a blood sample for cross-matching, to administration of the blood transfusion.

Professor Sir John Lilleyman, medical director at the NPSA, said the proposed blood tracking system presents a number of challenges to the IT world, and that blood transfusions involve a complex sequence of activities. He said ECTMS is likely to use either bar-code technology or RFID to eliminate errors during each stage in the chain of events.

"We are confident that, working with the leading providers of IT services, we can deliver a solution that will make significant improvements to NHS organisations delivering blood transfusions."

A pilot with one or more healthcare organisations is expected to start in March 2007.