Abstract
On behalf of the Japanese Society of Transfusion Medicine and Cell Therapy (JSTMCT), we have conducted a nationwide survey to assess the implementation and performance of systems to ensure safe and appropriate blood transfusion throughout Japan. Deficiencies among hospitals with fewer than 300 beds were suspected, but the response of these facilities to previous questionnaires has been inadequate. This prompted us to develop a new questionnaire specifically for hospitals of this size. In our 2013 survey of 11,015 facilities, 9,119 having fewer than 300 beds were enrolled, with the following results. First, qualified health professionals were disproportionately decreased according to the number of hospital beds. This jeopardizes transfusion safety from the standpoint of blood typing and cross-matching. Next, the informed consent process and associated documentation, systems for detecting and reporting adverse transfusion events, and measures to address transfusion-transmitted infection were substandard. Solving these problems in a large number of small facilities is a major challenge. Accordingly, concerted efforts by government authorities, the JSTMCT, and prefectural transfusion committees should be aimed at improving this situation.
