So Many Barcodes, So Little Time: A Quality Improvement Project to Improve Scanning of Blood Product Bags

Background Incorrect administration of blood products is a critical concern, occurring once in every 12,000 units transfused in the United States. Blood product documentation and scanning are vital for patient safety, yet difficulties in scanning multiple barcodes on blood transfusion bags often lead to delays and the need for manual overrides. Methods This quality improvement project utilized the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle of improvement to address blood product scanning in a 495-bed hospital in New York City. Results The scanning rate for blood products increased significantly from 69% in January 2021 to 96% in May 2021, representing a 39% improvement. Subsequently, increased compliance in 2022 demonstrated sustainment of best practices. Conclusions Implementation of the PDCA method led to increased compliance in scanning blood product bags following barcode scanner recalibration.