Quite few months back, the NHS Connecting for Health (CfH), an agency of UK’s Health Department has hinted out implementation of RFID technology in blood tracking to minimize transfusion risks at healthcare units.
Now, the idea gets a major boost with National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) urging hospitals to introduce RFID system to ensure patients get the correct blood type.
Over the years, the number of error blood transfusion cases is on rise. According to official data, there are 81 such cases in 1996-97 and 110 cases in 97-98. 14 patients have been died since 1996 and 54 left seriously ill due to wrong blood transfusion.
To enhance RFID-based blood transfusion systems in the country, NPSA will set up an Electronic Clinical Transfusion Management System (ECTMS). It would monitor blood transfusions ‘from vein to vein’ using RFID technology.
