Applying educational tools of knowledge translation to reduce the inappropriate use of plasma in Ontario: a collaboration between Canadian Blood Services and Ontario hospitals

Blood donated at Canadian Blood Services is a precious resource and a life-saving treatment for hospital patients. Unfortunately, hospital physicians may order plasma (a blood derivative) for patients who may not benefit from it, which makes this precious blood product less available to patients who do benefit from it and it exacerbates the blood shortage in Canada. Guidelines and recommendations for plasma use are available but are not followed at some Ontario hospitals according to two audits in 2008 and 2013. Several educational initiatives have been attempted in the past but were not successful in changing plasma ordering practice by physicians. Knowledge Translation (KT) is a set of scientifically proven educational strategies and methods which can effectively bring change to healthcare settings. It involves inviting the ordering physicians to participate in change and empower them to implement the knowledge found in guidelines. This project plans to bring information in the guidelines to opinion leaders in the large academic hospitals in Toronto, London, Hamilton and Ottawa. Computerized physician order entry and paper orders will be used to change practice. Audits will measure continued uptake of knowledge. Academic hospitals in Ontario were selected to achieve the maximal effect because this province accounted for 53% of plasma utilization in 2017 in Canada, and academic hospitals are the highest users of blood products.

SOLH, Ziad

Western University

BloodTechNet Award Program

Ontario

$7,200