Process improvement in transfusion medicine - One blood center's approach

Ongoing efforts to decrease costs in the clinical laboratory make continuou s process improvement especially important in difficult economic times. Pro cess improvement can result in decreased workload, cost savings, and increa sed customer satisfaction but is an abstract concept in and of itself. To i llustrate the steps of process improvement, we applied them to our blood co mponent retrieval policy. By identifying the problems with the current syst em, proposing and implementing solutions, and measuring the effects before and after revamping the process, we have been able to show impressive reduc tions in the number of component retrievals initiated, the number acted on, wasted components, and customer complaints, all of which translate into co st savings. Once the cycle is completed, it begins anew. There must always be continuous process improvement.