Question 1

Blood utilization management programs are designed to do all but which of the following?&#10;A) Increase safety&#10;B) Decrease component availability&#10;C) Reduce expenditure&#10;D) Manage limited blood resources

Accepted Answer

Blood utilization management programs are designed to increase safety, reduce expenditure, and manage limited blood resources, but they are not designed to decrease component availability. The goal is to ensure that blood components are available when needed for patients who require transfusions while also minimizing unnecessary utilization.

Question 2

A physician has ordered a 2-unit transfusion on an outpatient. When the outpatient arrives, the patient's hemoglobin is 12. What is the most appropriate action?&#10;A) Cancel the transfusion and send the patient home.&#10;B) Call the physician's office and inform them of their mistake.&#10;C) Inform the pathologist or medical director and allow him to contact the physician.&#10;D) Transfuse. A physicians order should not be questioned.

Accepted Answer

Informing the pathologist or medical director allows for a professional review of the physician's order in light of the patient's current hemoglobin level. This step ensures patient safety and appropriate use of resources while maintaining respect for the physician's initial decision.

Question 3

Targeted and discontinuous are subtypes of what review system?&#10;A) Retrospective&#10;B) Concurrent&#10;C) Interpreted&#10;D) Prospective

Accepted Answer

Targeted review focuses on a specific aspect of care or a particular patient population, while discontinuous review looks at individual cases that fall outside of normal practice patterns. Both of these subtypes fall under the broader category of prospective review, which is carried out before or during patient care.

Question 4

Upon review at the end of the quarter, you note that one physician's C/T ratio was high. You discuss this with the medical director, and he has you draft a letter to this physician. This is an example of what kind of review?

A) Retrospective
B) Concurrent
C) Interpreted
D) Prospective

Accepted Answer

This scenario describes a retrospective review, as it is looking back on data from the previous quarter to identify potential areas for improvement or concern.

Question 5

The focus of most blood utilization programs is:&#10;A) the underutilization of blood products of a facility.&#10;B) the overutilization of blood products by a facility.&#10;C) to reduce cost.&#10;D) to evaluate the need for ordering more product.

Accepted Answer

The focus of most blood utilization programs is to address the overutilization of blood products by a facility. This is done by implementing evidence-based guidelines and protocols, educating healthcare professionals on appropriate transfusion practices, and monitoring transfusion practices and outcomes. The goal is to ensure that blood products are used only when necessary, thereby reducing potential risks and costs associated with unnecessary transfusions.

Question 6

Which statement is false?&#10;A) There is zero inherent risk of transfusing blood if all protocols are followed.&#10;B) Following quality assurance guidelines for transfusion increases the safety to the patient.&#10;C) You must follow a physician's order no matter what.&#10;D) All of the above statements are true.

Accepted Answer

Although following protocols can greatly reduce the risk of transfusion, there is still a small inherent risk associated with transfusing blood. This risk includes the potential for a patient to have an allergic reaction, immune system reaction, or infectious disease transmission. Therefore, statement A is false.

Question 7

Which of the following is not part of a blood utilization review?&#10;A) Retrospective review&#10;B) Concurrent review&#10;C) Interpreted review&#10;D) Prospective review

Accepted Answer

The term "interpreted review" is not typically associated with blood utilization review. The other answer choices are commonly used types of reviews in blood utilization, such as retrospective (looking back at past use), concurrent (reviewing current use), and prospective (reviewing future use).

Question 8

An example of direct behavior influence when implementing intervention strategies would be:&#10;A) discussion with a physician about his ordering practice.&#10;B) an e-mail to the nursing staff about their roles in transfusing.&#10;C) a communication tree to all med techs about new protocols of issuing a product.&#10;D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

All of the above options involve direct behavior influence when implementing intervention strategies. In option A, the discussion with a physician aims to influence their behavior in ordering practices. Similarly, in option B, the email to nursing staff aims to influence their behavior in transfusing. Option C involves communicating new protocols to all med techs to influence their behavior in issuing a product. Therefore, all options involve direct behavior influence and are appropriate intervention strategies.

Deck 24: Utilization Management