Modifications made to policy requirements for blood type determination and reporting
Published on: Thursday, November 5, 2020
On Sept. 1, modifications were made to policy requirements for blood type determination and reporting. The updated language requires host OPOs, transplant hospitals, and recovery hospitals (for living donors) to include a process in their written protocols that addresses indeterminate blood typing results. The goal of the modifications is to:
- Increase patient safety by creating additional protocols and documentation requirements to address situations when conventional methods of blood testing result in indeterminate or conflicting results
- Identify triggers for when to use alternative testing methods
- Identify practices to resolve conflicting blood typing results.
Details of the policy are contained in this policy notice.
Both OPOs and transplant hospitals will need to update their written protocols to address both indeterminate and conflicting blood typing results. Staff should be trained on how to address both indeterminate and conflicting results as outlined in their written protocols. OPOs should have documentation that blood type determination was conducted according to the written protocols and that all blood products received by the donor since admission to the donor hospital should be maintained.
These updates change details related to the OPTN Member Evaluation Plan.
Resources
A guidance document addressing blood type determination is available in the guidance section of the OPTN website. The guidance document does not create or change OPTN policy, but instead serves as a resource that provides information that addresses conflicting and indeterminate blood type results and identifies alternative methods of blood typing.
Questions?
If you have questions relating to implementation, contact UNOS Customer Service at unethelpdesk@unos.org, or call 800-978-4334 from 8 am to 7 pm EST
For policy-related questions, contact member.questions@unos.org