Expand your knowledge with professional education

Curious about the research happening at Canadian Blood Services?

Hear from the researchers in their own words through our KnowledgeInfusion video series.

Knowledge dissemination is a vital step needed for research to be translated into new applications and improved processes. Through our Centre for Innovation, Canadian Blood Services conducts and supports research related to transfusion medicine and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. KnowledgeInfusion webinars disseminate our research findings to Canadian Blood Services staff, helping them learn about exciting new discoveries and understand how they can be applied to address the organization’s challenges. The presentations are also recorded and shared on our Professional Education website to reach a broader audience.

The KnowledgeInfusion series highlights research that is presented by Canadian Blood Services researchers at major national and international conferences and that affects Canadian Blood Services’ operations. They span a broad range of topics. For example, presentations have included the following:

• Using a risk-based decision-making tool to guide our response to emerging transfusion-transmitted diseases
• Developing a way to increase hospitals’ awareness of best practices in transfusion medicine
• Working with international collaborators to improve Canadian Blood Services' efficiency

 

At our most recent KnowledgeInfusion event, we heard from three researchers whose studies have informed the implementation of “seven-day platelets” at Canadian Blood Services. Dr. Sandra Ramirez-Arcos, a development scientist, described the changes to the bacterial detection algorithm and how it will improve the safety of our platelet products. Dr. Peter Schubert, a research associate working with Dr. Dana Devine, presented his research about the effects of extending the shelf life on platelet quality. Finally, Kristyn Reid, a graduate student working with Dr. John Blake, described how the extended shelf life will affect platelet product inventory and wastage. Attendees agreed that the event was applicable to their work, with one survey respondent commenting, “Since I worked on the configuration of the changes to implement seven-day platelets, it was nice to know the scientific background associated with the initiative.”

The KnowledgeInfusion program helps our research community increase the exposure of their research and connect with operations staff. It also provides an opportunity for trainees to develop their presentation skills by sharing their work with a different audience than they would find at a scientific conference.

Read more about these changes to platelet shelf life:

• Extended Shelf Life Platelets
• Platelet product quality remains high after seven days of storage

What else is on the Professional Education website?

Many valuable resources for the transfusion community! The content is regularly updated by experts in the field and is available in English and French.

• Refer to the Clinical Guide to Transfusion and Best Practices, trusted sources of information for health-care professionals.
• Hear about upcoming learning events targeted at professionals in transfusion medicine and research.
• Access educational tools developed by the transfusion community through our BloodTechNet program and find information about transfusion courses available, including the transfusion medicine Area of Focused Competence (AFC) diploma program.
• Read our original Publications to learn more about different issues in transfusion medicine. Two of our most popular articles are Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) and The importance of iron for whole blood donors.

Explore the Professional Education website to learn more. If you have any questions about the content or suggestions for improvement, we would love to hear from you. Please contact us.

Canadian Blood Services – Driving world-class innovation

Through discovery, development and applied research, Canadian Blood Services drives world-class innovation in blood transfusion, cellular therapy and transplantation—bringing clarity and insight to an increasingly complex healthcare future. Our dedicated research team and extended network of partners engage in exploratory and applied research to create new knowledge, inform and enhance best practices, contribute to the development of new services and technologies, and build capacity through training and collaboration. Find out more about our research impact. 

The opinions reflected in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Canadian Blood Services nor do they reflect the views of Health Canada or any other funding agency.