September 2020
ORBCoN’s Year in Review 2019-20
By Tracy Cameron
2019-20 was another busy year for ORBCoN. A small report highlights some of the activities we worked on over the year to meet each of ORBCoN’s strategic goals. Work continues, and new activities are always on the horizon. If you have any comments on ORBCoN’s activities or suggestions for collaborative projects, please contact transfusionontario@gmail.com.
BE Lite September 2020
By Dr. Allison Collins
Bloody Easy Lite (BE Lite) is an on-line learning tool for prescribers of blood. It consists of two modules, module 1 focusing on the indications for blood components and products, and module 2 on the recognition and management of transfusion reactions. It includes a pre-test and a post-test and is eligible for continuing education (CE) credits. This summer, the program was updated and made more user-friendly, so that it will take less time to complete and be more useful for busy physicians. In January, 2018, Accreditation Canada added a requirement that prescribing physicians undergo competency assessment in blood transfusion (Standards for Transfusion Services 4.3), and BE Lite can help with that. The on-line version was launched in September, 2020. The file format required for hospitals to use with their in-house CE programs will be available shortly thereafter.
Coming Soon:
Bloody Easy Blood Administration Version 3
On the Road to a Massive Hemorrhage Protocol; Toolkit Release Update
By Stephanie Cope
As the impact of the novel COVID-19 pandemic continues to expand and priorities continue to shift for healthcare professionals involved in the massive hemorrhage protocol (MHP) initiative (see publication for protocol details) we wanted to update you on the status of the Provincial toolkit given the delay in the overall project timeline, which was spring 2020. The toolkit is currently 60% complete. At this point, we are anticipating a new release date of winter 2020, with a new official launch date of spring 2021 should restrictions be lifted and we are permitted to hold our previously scheduled educational event.
In anticipation of its release, we wanted to share with you, an implementation checklist for Ontario hospitals to guide massive hemorrhage protocol implementation. We also encourage you to check out five educational training modules that were developed for hospital use in training key personnel (Porters/MLTs/Nurses/Physicians) on the Ontario MHP. Since communication plays such a crucial role in an MHP, the fifth module was developed to guide hospitals in the role communication /hospital administration plays if activating ‘Code Transfusion’ as an overhead page. Not familiar with Code Transfusion? Check out the provincial recommendations here.
Stay tuned for further updates and resources as we will continue to keep you informed of the progress by email, website and our social media channels.
Bloody Easy Tech Assessments
By Alison Wendt
Bloody Easy Tech Assessments (Tech Assess) is a competency program consisting of Basic and Advanced level questions intended to provide Medical Laboratory Technologists in Ontario with a mechanism to assess and build on their technical and theoretical Transfusion Medicine knowledge.
The original program was launched in 2008 and has been updated and reviewed annually by both an ORBCoN working group and selected stakeholders prior to launch.
In 2014, the program was evaluated externally, and the results indicated that the program is valued by its users, which consist of Technical staff (MLT) working in both hospital laboratories and blood services, students as well as Supervisors/Laboratory Managers.
Tech Assess is housed in ORBCoN’s eTools, a permission-based environment where users must be registered through an assigned site administrator. Correct answers with rationale may be viewed once the assessment is submitted. A certificate is available for printing when the test has been successfully completed with a passing grade. Site administrators have the ability to track staff’s completion of the tests.
The 2020-21 Program is currently under development with a target release in late fall. Stay tuned for communication of the launch. If you would like to have a site administrator set up for your facility, please contact your ORBCoN office.
In addition to the Tech Assess program, Bloody Easy Coagulation and Dispensary Site Competency were developed and launched in 2019. Both programs are available for all users, but the content may be more related to hematology and core lab and/or dispensary sites.
To obtain more information on these and other ORBCoN resources, please contact your Regional ORBCoN office.
Website Updates
By Andrew Duyvestyn
You may have noticed a new website design over the summer. We have been working hard to update the design, ease of use, and overall quality of the website. Along with this, we have added features to help you find, download, and view resources, with many more in the pipeline!
So, besides the clean new look, faster loading times, and increased uptime, what exactly has changed?
New resource drawer:
With the intention of making searching through our many categories easier, we have added a resource drawer to our navigation featuring all our resource categories in one place – no more clicking through different navigation headers trying to find what you’re looking for!
New search:
Searching resources has never been easier! Through our enhanced search, you can now find what you’re looking for without being directed through a third-party search engine. Still can’t find what you’re looking for? Check out our next feature!
New chat and offline messaging:
If you have trouble finding the resource you’re looking for, we have implemented a new chat tool that allows you to reach us almost immediately! We try to be online during regular business hours, but if we’re not, you can send us an offline message and we will do our best to get back to you within the next business day!
New “under revision” alerts:
We are constantly trying to ensure our resources contain the most up-to-date information available. When resources are being revised, you will now see an “under revision” alert on the resource. This is intended to let you know that a new, updated version may become available soon.
More to come soon:
We have much more coming in the pipeline that we are excited to share with you! If you have any comments or recommendations, please contact our Website Administrator Andrew at aduyvestyn@ohri.ca.