Canadian Blood Services' Role in Blood Transfusion Education
Canadian Blood Services (CBS) is committed to fundamental change over the short, medium and long terms and is transforming to build a better blood system for Canadians. One of the CBS vision statements that we are working towards states "CBS continues to help hospitals improve blood utilization and surveillance. We have found that educating consumers, donors, physicians and other health professionals is key to managing utilization of blood and blood products." As well, the CBS Quality Policy states "Our purpose is to meet the needs and expectations of Canadians and Canadian health-care providers who require our products and services."
With these guideposts in place, and our commitment to education, CBS has developed this Web site to be used as an educational tool for professionals involved in transfusion medicine. Its “vein to vein” approach is intended to cover all aspects of blood transfusion from the time the donor enters one of our clinics, to the transfusion of blood on the hospital ward, and finally to management of complications of transfusion.
Editorial Review Board
All content on the site is vetted by members of the Editorial Review Board at Canadian Blood Services. Our role is to ensure this site is created by knowledge experts, based on trustworthy sources, and supported by evidence.
Acknowledgements
Canadian Blood Services originally created this site through an education fund provided by Bayer Inc. (Canada).
Primary materials and resources used for content are:
- CBS,Circular of Information for the Use of Human Blood and Blood Components
- CSA Standard Z902-04, blood and Blood Components
- Standard Transfusion Medicine texts, which we acknowledge in Further Reading
Other materials extensively used were graciously provided by:
- St. Michael’s Hospital Transfusion Manual for Nursing Units. Tinmouth A, Koen R. Freedman J. 2000. St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Stakeholder input was provided by numerous committees and working groups representing all areas of Canada from both large and small facilities involved in transfusion medicine.
Special Thanks
Canadian Blood Services is grateful for contributions to this web site that will improve and enlarge the availability of consistent and correct information regarding transfusion medicine. There have been many contributors to this site. We would like to give special thanks all hospital-based contributors whose contributions assist in providing pre-vein information to transfusion medicine professionals and users of blood and blood components.