Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42216015›Full record

ArticleBMC health services research2026

Evaluating blood transfusion services in a low- and middle-income country: implications for quality assurance and patient safety.

Wafa Abu Sebaa, Ibrahim Salhi, Mamoun Aubeidia, Mahmoud Sapti Hamdan, Mohammed Asees, Khitam Amer, Walaa Mubaslat, Haya Radwan, Sameh Al-Assi, Hanin Mansour and 4 more

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Article in BMC health services research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Wafa Abu SebaaFaculty of Graduate Studies, An-Najah National University, Nablus, 44839, Palestine.
Ibrahim SalhiFaculty of Graduate Studies, An-Najah National University, Nablus, 44839, Palestine.
Mamoun AubeidiaFaculty of Graduate Studies, An-Najah National University, Nablus, 44839, Palestine.
Mahmoud Sapti HamdanFaculty of Graduate Studies, An-Najah National University, Nablus, 44839, Palestine.
Mohammed AseesFaculty of Graduate Studies, An-Najah National University, Nablus, 44839, Palestine.
Khitam AmerFaculty of Graduate Studies, An-Najah National University, Nablus, 44839, Palestine.
Walaa MubaslatFaculty of Graduate Studies, An-Najah National University, Nablus, 44839, Palestine.
Haya RadwanFaculty of Graduate Studies, An-Najah National University, Nablus, 44839, Palestine.
Sameh Al-AssiFaculty of Graduate Studies, An-Najah National University, Nablus, 44839, Palestine.
Hanin MansourFaculty of Graduate Studies, An-Najah National University, Nablus, 44839, Palestine.
Muhammad A Abu TahaDepartment of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Medical Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine.
Dania AbuhalimaDepartment of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Medical Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine.
Sa'ed H ZyoudDepartment of Clinical and Community Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, An-Najah National University, Nablus, 44839, Palestine.
Adham Abu TahaDepartment of Biomedical Sciences and Basic Clinical Skills, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Medical Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine. aabutaha@najah.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBlood transfusions save millions of lives, but errors in the transfusion process can lead to serious adverse outcomes. There is a need to deliver this service using safe technologies and robust quality systems. In Palestine, the political situation requires full readiness for any emergency and attention to the availability of safe and sufficient blood units. The purpose of this study was to assess blood transfusion services (BTSs) throughout the West Bank, Palestine, to identify key gaps, pinpoint areas of strength, and direct timely enhancements to the safety and quality of the blood supply chain.

methodsThis cross-sectional study surveyed 28 blood banks from both the governmental and nongovernmental sectors of the West Bank, Palestine. We evaluated seven key areas: staffing, activity operations, quality control of equipment and reagents, blood unit handling procedures, the setting of blood donation, personnel training, and data management. An overall mean percent score for BTS was calculated.

resultsThe study showed strong performance in fundamental immunohaematology-related procedures, with ABO grouping and crossmatching nearly universal (> 89%). Equipment maintenance was excellent, with all centers reporting scheduled preventive maintenance and uninterruptible power supply availability, and staff-related indicators were strong, with an overall personnel score of 87.8%. Nevertheless, important gaps were observed in advanced testing, and quality assurance phenotyping was available in only 17.9% of the centers, extended antibody identification in 32.1%, and limited participation in international proficiency testing (10.7%). Similarly, only 53.6% of centers carried out routine quality monitoring of blood products (such as platelet counts and PRBC hematocrit) and patient education. A significant difference was in the use of blood bank information systems (100% governmental vs. 57.1% nongovernmental, p = 0.016). Overall, performance was largely similar between governmental and nongovernmental sectors, with no statistically significant differences in the majority of indicators.

conclusionsThe findings indicate that although governmental and nongovernmental blood banks operate at similar levels in most routine activities, important gaps remain in advanced immunohaematology testing and external quality assurance programs. These gaps may affect transfusion safety, particularly for patients who require repeated transfusions or complex compatibility testing. Strengthening external quality assurance participation, improving access to advanced testing, and expanding electronic data management systems should be considered priority areas for improving blood transfusion services in the West Bank. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.

Indexed as

Blood BanksBlood TransfusionPatient SafetyQuality Assurance, Health CareBlood Grouping and CrossmatchingCross-Sectional StudiesDeveloping CountriesHumansMiddle EastResource-Limited SettingsBlood bankBlood transfusion servicesHealth services evaluationImmunohematologyPalestineQuality assuranceWest Bank

Identifiers

PMID42216015
PMCPMC13430821

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.