West Midlands Regional Training Package for Safe Blood Transfusion Practice

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West Midlands Regional Training Package for Safe
Blood Transfusion Practice
Version 3 (2008)
MODULE 5 Patient Information Needs / Informed
Consent
DISCLAIMER NOTE The information contained in this
training package has been produced as a training
aid only. Neither authors nor publisher can
accept any responsibility for any errors or
omissions. The British Committee for Standards in
Haematology (BCSH) issue guidelines relating to
blood transfusion this training document is not
intended as a substitute. Local hospital policies
and procedures must be followed at all times.
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Module 5 Patient Information Needs / Informed
Consent

• Contents
• What are the patients information needs?
• What written information is available?

Aim Increase staff awareness and knowledge and
thus improve patient information.

• Objectives
• To recognise which patients should receive blood
  transfusion information.
• To recognise what are the patients information
  needs and implications for practice.
• To identify what written patient information is
  available.

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What are the patients information needs?
Module 5 Patient Information Needs / Informed
Consent
The Department of Healths Health Service
Circular 2007/001 Better Blood Transfusion Safe
and Appropriate Use of Blood (2007) states that
hospitals should provide better information to
patients and the public about blood transfusion
as described below
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What are the patients information needs?
Module 5 Patient Information Needs / Informed
Consent
In the emergency setting, there may not be an
opportunity to provide the patient with any
information. If a relative is present, the
decision to transfuse should be discussed
whenever possible. Inform the patient afterwards
that a transfusion has been administered.

It should be noted that any patient can refuse a
blood transfusion.
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What written Patient Information is available?
Module 5 Patient Information Needs / Informed
Consent

• The National Blood Service (also know as NHS
  Blood and Transplant) produces several patient
  information leaflets, including
• Will I Need a Blood Transfusion why you might
  need a blood transfusion, the risks and the
  benefits and how will you feel during a blood
  transfusion.
• Information for Patients Needing Irradiated Blood
  Why is irradiated blood needed? Do all types of
  blood need to be irradiated? Does irradiation
  damage the blood?
• Receiving a Plasma Transfusion Important
  information for parents of babies and young
  children receiving Fresh Frozen Plasma.
• Childrens Receiving a Transfusion leaflet -
  Information for parents / guardians also
  containing booklets (targeted for children of two
  different age groups) explaining why a blood
  transfusion may be necessary.
• Babies Receiving a Blood Transfusion A parents
  / guardians guide explaining why a transfusion
  may be necessary.
• Iron in Your Diet the importance of iron in the
  diet and what happens if they have low iron
  levels.

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How do I obtain these leaflets?
Module 5 Patient Information Needs / Informed
Consent
Your Hospital Transfusion Practitioner or
Transfusion Laboratory will usually supply these
Some of these leaflets can be downloaded from the
NHS Blood and Transplant Hospitals website, and
some are available in other languages
http//hospital.blood.co.uk
Many hospitals produce their own patient
information leaflets with information about
locally available alternatives to transfusion
ask your Hospital Transfusion Practitioner or
Transfusion Laboratory.
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Key Points
Module 5 Patient Information Needs / Informed
Consent

• ALL patients receiving routine / planned
  transfusions should be given written and verbal
  information about the transfusion and the
  procedure involved this must be done in a
  timely manner to allow the patient sufficient
  time to ask any questions.
• If alternatives to transfusion are available,
  these must be discussed with the patient so that
  they can make an informed choice.
• Details of what information has been given
  should be recorded in the patients case notes.
• Written patient information is available from
  the National Blood Service. There may also be
  other hospital patient information leaflets
  available.

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Module 5 - Quiz
Module 5 Patient Information Needs / Informed
Consent

• Question 1 of 4
• Patients should be given information about blood
  transfusions only if they request it.
• True / False

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Module 5 - Quiz
Module 5 Patient Information Needs / Informed
Consent

• Question 2 of 4
• Any alternatives to blood transfusion should be
  discussed with the patient.
• True / False

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Module 5 - Quiz
Module 5 Patient Information Needs / Informed
Consent

• Question 3 of 4
• Only patients who are definitely going to receive
  a blood transfusion should be given any
  information.
• True / False

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Module 5 - Quiz
Module 5 Patient Information Needs / Informed
Consent

• Question 4 of 4
• Evidence that information has been given to the
  patient should be documented in the patients
  clinical notes.
• True / False

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Module 5 Quiz Answers
Module 5 Patient Information Needs / Informed
Consent

• Question 1 False
• Question 2 True
• Question 3 False
• Question 4 True