Article type
Year
Abstract
Background: the Belgian Red Cross (BRC) is an aid organization with a wide range of activities, from blood collection and banking, to first-aid education, to international disaster and development aid. Evidence-based decision-making is embedded in the long-term strategic vision of BRC for all its activities. BRC uses a blood donor eligibility questionnaire, asking for the donor’s health and possible risk behavior, in order to guarantee safety of both donor and recipient.
Objectives: to scientifically underpin the criteria used in the blood donor eligibility questionnaire by implementing the principles of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in its blood collecting activities.
Methods: since 2010, BRC has invested in a Centre for Evidence-Based Practice (CEBaP) where 11 full-time researchers in EBP support the blood banking activities by conducting type A research (monitoring and evaluation of daily activities), type B research (systematic reviews and evidence-based recommendations) and type C research (primary research studies such as randomized controlled trials (RCTs)). Educational approaches have been used to train BRC employees in EBP, such as initial blended learning (E-learning module + classroom session) followed by monthly journal clubs (presentation and discussion of primary or secondary research papers).
The Evidence Ecosystem will be used to demonstrate how we scientifically underpin the BRC blood donor eligibility questionnaire.
Results: CEBaP conducted 10 systematic reviews on blood donor exclusion criteria: 4 on donor safety and 6 on recipient safety (‘evidence synthesizers’). The conclusions of these reviews were disseminated by CEBaP/BRC via internal and external platforms (websites, social media, internal science day, stakeholder meetings, webinar, (inter)national conferences, publications in peer-reviewed journals) (‘evidence disseminators’), and evidence from these reviews where used by policy-makers to change national legislation and the blood donor eligibility questionnaire accordingly (‘evidence implementers’). Blood donation data are consistently and automatically collected and evaluated via central databases, with methodological support from CEBaP concerning the statistical analysis (e.g. association between risk behavior and Hepatitis B infection in BRC blood donors) (‘evidence evaluators & improvers’). Evidence gap map analysis resulted in new primary research, e.g. an RCT on the effectiveness of repeated whole blood donation on exercise performance (‘evidence production’). (Figure 1)
Conclusions: the Evidence Ecosystem demonstrates that the EBP principles are successfully implemented in the BRC.
Patient or healthcare consumer involvement: a top-down managerial focus on EBP increased the awareness of all employees and volunteers, and resulted in a positive attitude towards EBP. In addition, this evidence-based approach supports the quality of BRC research projects, and will result in more (cost-)effective blood collecting activities, ultimately benefiting the donors and recipients of blood products.
Objectives: to scientifically underpin the criteria used in the blood donor eligibility questionnaire by implementing the principles of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in its blood collecting activities.
Methods: since 2010, BRC has invested in a Centre for Evidence-Based Practice (CEBaP) where 11 full-time researchers in EBP support the blood banking activities by conducting type A research (monitoring and evaluation of daily activities), type B research (systematic reviews and evidence-based recommendations) and type C research (primary research studies such as randomized controlled trials (RCTs)). Educational approaches have been used to train BRC employees in EBP, such as initial blended learning (E-learning module + classroom session) followed by monthly journal clubs (presentation and discussion of primary or secondary research papers).
The Evidence Ecosystem will be used to demonstrate how we scientifically underpin the BRC blood donor eligibility questionnaire.
Results: CEBaP conducted 10 systematic reviews on blood donor exclusion criteria: 4 on donor safety and 6 on recipient safety (‘evidence synthesizers’). The conclusions of these reviews were disseminated by CEBaP/BRC via internal and external platforms (websites, social media, internal science day, stakeholder meetings, webinar, (inter)national conferences, publications in peer-reviewed journals) (‘evidence disseminators’), and evidence from these reviews where used by policy-makers to change national legislation and the blood donor eligibility questionnaire accordingly (‘evidence implementers’). Blood donation data are consistently and automatically collected and evaluated via central databases, with methodological support from CEBaP concerning the statistical analysis (e.g. association between risk behavior and Hepatitis B infection in BRC blood donors) (‘evidence evaluators & improvers’). Evidence gap map analysis resulted in new primary research, e.g. an RCT on the effectiveness of repeated whole blood donation on exercise performance (‘evidence production’). (Figure 1)
Conclusions: the Evidence Ecosystem demonstrates that the EBP principles are successfully implemented in the BRC.
Patient or healthcare consumer involvement: a top-down managerial focus on EBP increased the awareness of all employees and volunteers, and resulted in a positive attitude towards EBP. In addition, this evidence-based approach supports the quality of BRC research projects, and will result in more (cost-)effective blood collecting activities, ultimately benefiting the donors and recipients of blood products.