Genotyping red blood cells can make transfusions safer for patients with sickle cell disease

In a new study, a research team that includes experts from Canadian Blood Services and the McMaster Centre for Transfusion Research showed that genotyping red blood cell (RBC) proteins could help make transfusions safer for patients with sickle cell disease. Blood transfusions can be a life-saving treatment for patients with sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder that causes RBCs to become sickle- or crescent-shaped. But transfusion comes with risks: if donor RBCs have proteins that are not found on the patient’s RBCs, the patient’s immune system attacks the donor’s foreign RBC
August 12, 2020
Transfusion

Blood transfusion during the pandemic: strategies in a time of uncertainty

COVID-19 has had major implications for patients who need blood transfusions, blood donors, and the transfusion services and hospitals that manage transfusions. For example, in the event of a shortage, what additional steps can be taken to minimize waste of blood components, and how is blood use prioritized for patients if there is a predicted shortage? What donor and donation factors need to be considered to maintain an adequate supply of blood during the pandemic? According to Dr. Mindy Goldman, medical director at Canadian Blood Services, one of the biggest challenges for clinicians during
August 7, 2020
Transfusion

Knowledge synthesis forum highlights dedication of research teams and stakeholders, commitment of Canadian blood operators

With funding from Health Canada, Canadian Blood Services and Héma-Québec are supporting research to contribute to the establishment of adequate evidence-based research for alternative screening approaches for blood or plasma donors, which could evolve the current deferral policy for men who have sex with men (MSM) while maintaining the safety of the blood supply. The MSM Research Program funds 15 innovative research projects to generate evidence that is currently lacking. The Canadian research efforts will contribute to a growing national and international body of knowledge on the topic, as
July 31, 2020
Transfusion

Organ donation after circulatory death (DCD) e-learning module now available

Third module of Canadian Clinical Guide to Organ Donation just launched The Canadian Clinical Guide to Organ Donation is an essential curriculum for health professionals that enhances competencies in the identification and care of potential deceased donors and their families. It is a free self-directed, interactive, online e-learning course. Developed by Canadian Blood Services in collaboration with the organ donation organizations in Canada and many generous volunteers from the Canadian Critical Care community, this curriculum is accredited Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada and
July 21, 2020
Organs and tissues

Cord Blood Awareness Month: Q&A with researcher Jennie Haw

Dr. Jennie Haw is a scientist at Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation. She was a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Health System Impact postdoctoral fellow from 2017—2019. Her research project during this fellowship focused on optimizing cord blood donor recruitment for the national public cord blood bank. As a sociologist, she’s interested in understanding how health and health systems relate to the individual and society. As we celebrate Cord Blood Awareness Month this July, we sat down with Dr. Haw to talk about her research and its impact on cord blood banking. What’s
July 16, 2020
Transfusion

COVID-19 resources for health-care professionals

As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, being well informed has perhaps never been more important. For health-care professionals in particular, keeping pace with information related to COVID-19, which can change rapidly, is critical in helping them best serve their patients. To support Canadian transfusion medicine health-care professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve created a repository of information on the Canadian Blood Services’ professional education website. You’ll find resources on blood product conservation practices during COVID-19, information about the treatment
June 25, 2020
Transfusion

Call for applications! Research funding to optimize blood product use and to train next-generation researchers

Two funding programs that support making the most out of blood donations are now welcoming applications. The Blood Efficiency Accelerator Program or “BEAP” is a highly innovative research funding program geared towards optimizing blood product use while maintaining the safety of the blood supply. The Postdoctoral Fellowship Program or “PDF” is a vital training program that contributes to building a community of experts that will ensure the relevance and safety of the blood system and transplantation system for now and the years to come. Every year, the Centre for Innovation welcomes
June 19, 2020
Transfusion

The BRiC Program - Burnout and Resilience in Organ Donor Coordinators

Burnout and Resilience in Organ and Tissue Donor Coordinators: The BRiC Program Organ and tissue donation coordinators face challenging and stressful scenarios on a daily basis, and this frequent exposure leaves them susceptible to developing of work-related issues like burnout and compassion fatigue. Research on turnover rates among these healthcare workers has shown that job tenure for coordinators is less than three years, a possible consequence of work-related issues. Consequently, turnover rates may have a significant impact on the ability of organ donation organizations to optimize donation in their programs. Little was known about the true extent of work-related issues among organ donation coordinators worldwide, and very little was known about how it may impact coordinators in Canada. Therefore, the Burnout and Resilience in Organ Donor Coordinators (BRIC) program focuses on identifying burnout in organ donor coordinators and developing interventions to support coordinators in their workplace. In this three-phase research we systematically investigate ways to minimize the impact of compassion fatigue, burnout, and moral distress, and to identify ways to increase resilience among healthcare workers who support organ and tissue donors and their families at end-of-life and through organ donation. The overall BRiC program is led by Dr. Vanessa Silva e Silva at Brock University with the support of Canadian Blood services, the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario and in collaboration with Canada's organ and tissue donation community. Some steps of the program have had the leadership of Dr. Amina Silva e Silva. About the BRiC Study Core Research Team Collaborators and patient partners: varies according to the sub-projects of the BRiC program BRiC Phase I – Scoping review Overview: We conducted a scoping review of the international literature to develop a comprehensive description of burnout and compassion fatigue, including risk/protective factors, among organ and tissue donation coordinators worldwide. Results: Burnout and compassion fatigue among organ donation coordinators: a scoping review protocol. Published at JBI. Burnout and compassion fatigue among organ donation coordinators: a scoping review. Published at BMJ. BRiC Phase II – Mixed-methods study Overview: We conducted a national mixed-method study using an online quantitative survey followed by qualitative interviews to explore burnout, compassion fatigue, moral distress, resilience and stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic among organ donation coordinators. The results from this study are being used to inform the development of phase III of the BRiC program. Status: Study is complete and results of the study are under review for publication or already in progress: Resilience among organ donation coordinators: a Canadian mixed-methods study (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1367546/full) Understanding the work-related challenges of organ and tissue donation coordinators during the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed method study. BMJ Open (under review). Uncovering Work-Related Issues Among Canadian Organ Donation Coordinators: A National Mixed-Methods Study (in progress) Experiences of Organ and Tissue Donation Coordinators within the health care team: A Qualitative Study (in progress) Major Stressors and Satisfying Aspects for Organ and Tissue Donation Coordinators: A Canadian Qualitative Study Experiences of Organ and Tissue Donation Coordinators within the health care team: A Qualitative Study (in progress) BRiC Phase III - Interventional study Overview: In this phase we are developing a toolkit with coping strategies as a resource for coordinators to use in their practice and support the work-related wellbeing of coordinators. Status: Completed scoping review of the literature on available coping mechanisms used by critical care nurses. Led by Dr. Amina Silva Research protocol: https://cjccn.ca/featured-article/coping-strategies-used-by-registered-nurses-in-acute-and-critical-care-settings-a-scoping-review-protocol/ Full manuscript submitted for publication (under review) Toolkit development (ongoing) Additional projects related to BRiC Burnout, compassion fatigue and work-related stressors among organ donation and transplantation coordinators: A qualitative study. Published at ICCN. Burnout and compassion fatigue among organ donation coordinators: A Canadian perspective. Published at CJCCN. The Experiences and Perceptions of Organ and Tissue Donation Coordinators Participating in a Team Cohesion and Communication Workshop: An Exploratory Descriptive Qualitative Study. Published in CJCCN. If you would like to know more and potentially collaborate with this study, please contact our research team at vsilvaesilva@brocku.ca. Conference Presentations and Recognitions List of Awards received for the BRiC program 10/2024 2024 CST Annual Scientific Meeting - Top Oral Abstract Award 12/2023 CIHR Travel Awards - Institute Community Support Competition 05/2023 CST Nursing and Allied Health Travel Grant - (declined) 06/2023 2023 ISODP Scientific Congress Award - International Society for Organ Donation and Procurement 1/2022 The Transplantation Society - TTS Allied Health Professional Award for the 29th International Congress of the Transplantation Society National Conferences: Silva e Silva V., Dhanani S., Lotherington K., Silva A. (2024) Studying Burnout and Resilience in Organ and Tissue Donor Coordinators and Developing Interventions. Canadian Critical Care Nursing Conference, Regina – SK – Invited Speaker Silva e Silva V., Dhanani S., Lotherington K., James L., Silva A. (2023) Understanding Compassion Fatigue, Moral Distress, and Burnout Among Organ Donation Coordinators in Canada: A Mixed-Methods Study. Critical Care Canada Forum. Silva e Silva V. (2023) Equitable Access to Transplantation Canada View. International Transplant Nurses Society Annual Meeting, United States of America - Invited Speaker Silva e Silva V. (2022). Uncovering work-related problems among organ donation coordinators (ODC): The BRiC research program. Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses - Dynamics 2022, Canada - Invited Speaker Silva V.S. Burnout among Donation Coordinators: Progresses with the BRiC Study and Preliminary Results. Dynamics of Critical Care 2020, Canada - Invited Speaker Silva V.S. Burnout among Donation Coordinators: Progresses with the BRiC Study and Preliminary Results. Canadian Society of Transplantation Virtual Forum 2020, Canada - Invited Speaker Silva V.S., Hornby L., Lotherington K., Appleby A., Dhanani S.. Burnout and Resiliency Levels Among Organ Donation Coordinators: Research Protocol. 2019 Canadian Transplant Summit, October 16-19, Banff – Alberta Silva V.S., Hornby L., Almost J., Lotherington K., Appleby A., Dhanani S. Burnout and Resilience Among Organ Donation Coordinators: Scoping Review Protocol. 2019 Canadian Transplant Summit, October 16-19, Banff – Alberta International Conferences: Silva, A., Silva e Silva, V., Lotherington, K. & Dhanani S. Coping Strategies Among ACC Nurses: A Scoping Review. The Transplantation Society Conference, Turkey Silva e Silva V., Dhanani S., Lotherington K., Silva A. (2023) Compassion fatigue, moral distress, and burnout among organ donation coordinators in Canada: Results from a national mixed-methods study. The Transplantation Society Conference, Turkey Silva, A., Silva e Silva, V., Lotherington, K. & Dhanani S. Coping Strategies Among ACC Nurses: A Scoping Review. CST 2024 (accepted but declined). Silva e Silva, V., Hornby, L., Silva, A. & Dhanani, S. Studying Burnout and Compassion Fatigue among OTDCS. CST 2024. Award winner Silva, A., Silva e Silva, V., Lotherington, K. & Dhanani S. Coping Strategies Among ACC Nurses: A Scoping Review. Canadian Critical Care Forum 2023 Silva e Silva, V., Silva, A., Lotherington, K. & Dhanani S. The BRiC study. Canadian Critical Care Forum 2023 Silva e Silva V., Silva A., Hornby L., Lotherington K., Dhanani S. (2023) Understanding Compassion Fatigue, Moral Distress, and Burnout Among Organ Donation Coordinators in Canada: A Mixed-Methods Study. International Society for Organ Donation and Preservation Silva e Silva, V., Hornby, L., Silva, A. & Dhanani, S. Silva e Silva, V., Hornby, L., Silva, A. & Dhanani, S. Studying Burnout and Compassion Fatigue among OTDCS. International Transplant Nurses Society 2023. International Transplant Nurses Society 2023 Vanessa Silva e Silva and Amina Silva. (2023). The Bric Study - Burnout among Organ Donation Coordinators. 2023 Donation and Transplantation Conference ‘Back to the Future’ on the 2nd-3rd May 2023 in Melbourne, Australia- Invited Speaker Silva e Silva V, Silva A. (2022). Uncovering Work-Related Concerns Among Organ Donation Coordinators: The BRiC Research Program. 29th International Congress of the Transplantation Society, Argentina Silva e Silva, V., Hornby, L., Lotherington, K., Rochon, A., Silva, A., Pearson, H., MacNutt, L., Robertson, A., Werestiuk, K., Kuhl, D., John, P., Dhanani, S. & Sarti, A. (2022) The Experiences of Organ and Tissue Donation Coordinators Participating in a Team Cohesion and Communication Workshop: An Exploratory Descriptive Qualitative Study. International Congress of The Transplantation Society 2022. Silva e Silva V. (2021). Oral presentation: A Workshop To Improve Team Cohesion And Communication Among Organ And Tissue Donation Coordinators: An Exploratory Qualitative Study. 2021 ITNS Annual Meeting, United States of America - Invited Speaker Silva V.S. Burnout and Resiliency Panel. ITNS 2020 Annual Meeting Goes Virtual, United States – Invited Speaker Funding:

Canadian Blood Services scientist Alan Lazarus honoured by the Canadian transfusion community

Like many in the Canadian transfusion medicine community, Dr. Alan Lazarus should be travelling to Montreal, QC this week to attend the now cancelled Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine 2020 conference. Not being able to gather together with colleagues this year must be especially bittersweet for Dr. Lazarus, who is the recipient of the 2020 Ortho Award. This prestigious award recognizes an individual who has provided a major service or innovation in transfusion medicine. Dr. Lazarus is a senior scientist at Canadian Blood Services, and a professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the
May 26, 2020
Transfusion

Organ Donation and Transplantation Data - Preliminary Results

This national organ donation and transplantation COVID-19 impact dashboard was developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and is intended to help the community better understand, in near real time, the impact the COVID-19 crisis has had, either directly or indirectly on organ donation and transplantation practices in Canada and by extension, what impact these changes have had on potential donors and transplant candidates. Reporting of Covid-19 case data was discontinued May 2023.
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