Electronic tracking system reduces blood transfusions, infections

Editor's Note

An electronic blood tracking system that monitors how physicians prescribe postoperative blood transfusions significantly reduced the amount of blood patients receive and cut infection rates in half, according to a study presented October 7 at the 2015 Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons in Chicago.

The tracking system along with a program to educate staff at Intermountain Healthcare, Salt Lake City, has cut costs by $2.5 million over 2 years.

A system to monitor how physicians give blood to patients after an operation enabled a hospital system to significantly reduce the blood transfusions.