01 Mar 2011
Going for a same-day blood transfusion used to be a timeconsuming business for some patients at Singapore General Hospital (SGH). Waiting times could add up to more than half a day and some patients even had to stay in hospital till after 6pm to complete their transfusions.
But thanks to a group of SGH departments, this is now a thing of the past. The team, comprising staff from departments as varied as the Haematology Centre, Clinic K, Blood Bank and the Transportation Unit, carefully identified steps that could be eliminated.
Now, same-day blood transfusion patients are identified on their appointment cards with the label – Group Cross Match or Full Blood Count. They have two blood samples taken during their appointment with the doctor, one of which can be dispatched to the Blood Bank if a transfusion is necessary.
Request forms are sent to the bank in a red folder to indicate their urgency. The blood bags are then automatically delivered using an e-portering system.
After this initiative was rolled out, 92 per cent of patients wait less than four and a half hours, while a patient staying beyond 6pm is a rare event. In a followup satisfaction survey, 97 per cent rated the improved service as good or excellent.
In recognition of their efforts, the team received the Service Initiative Improvement Team award at the inaugural Singapore Health Quality Service Award 2011.
Click here for jpeg format
« Back to previous
page
back to top