Joint Commission updates Patient Blood Management Certification program

Editor's Note

The Joint Commission on August 5 announced that it has approved new and revised requirements for hospitals and critical access hospitals certified under the Patient Blood Management program that will go into effect January 1, 2021. The certification requirements have been updated to align with the third edition of the AABB's Standards for a Patient Blood Management Program.

The new and revised requirements address the following:

• Patient blood management for pediatric, obstetric, and single transfusion patients.
• Informed consent for patients who decline blood transfusion.
• Strategies to manage blood loss and treat anemia in specialties associated with high blood use.

The voluntary certification is designed to reduce the need for allogeneic blood transfusions and reduce costs, as well as to ensure that blood components are available for those who need them, the Joint Commission says.