NIHR BTRU in Data Driven Transfusion Practice

Partnered with the University of Oxford, working in collaboration with the University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.

Blood transfusions save lives but must be used appropriately and like all medical interventions they carry a risk. Around 20-25% of blood transfusions are given outside of clinical guidelines. 

This BTRU will look at data-driven approaches, using actual data at all steps in the transfusion chain, which can hopefully offer ways to improve transfusion practice.

There are a wide range of innovative projects involved including:

Electronic pathway development

Working with hospital teams across the country to develop a linked electronic pathway between hospitals and from donors to patients receiving blood, to monitor and improve clinical use of transfusion.

Risk assessment tool development

Working with primary care on data to develop a risk assessment tool for targeted anaemia screening and treatment before the patient needs to come to hospital, reducing the need for transfusions.

Further information

The Director of the BTRU is Professor Simon Stanworth of the University of Oxford and the NHSBT Leads are Consultant Haematologist Shubha Allard and Medical Director – Transfusion Farrukh Shah.

For more details, contact research.office@nhsbt.nhs.uk