ARCHIVED - Summative Evaluation of the Blood Safety Contribution Program - Final Report

 

II. Blood Safety Contribution Program

BSCP Components

Component 4000: Data linkages and communications

Data linkage and communication are considered to be intrinsic elements of any surveillance system. As a result, resources allocated to each surveillance system would include activities related to data linkages and communication. The primary focus of this component is the establishment of linkages with provincial Public Health Information Networks to allow the identification and reporting of delayed adverse events detected outside the hospital reporting system.

Component 4000 of the BSCP was included primarily to allow for the collection of data regarding delayed adverse events related to transfusion.  Typically, these are events whereby a recipient becomes positive for a transmissible disease as a result of a transfusion, but it is only identified outside of the hospital environment. 

Component 5000: High risk populations and emerging pathogens

The impact of the contamination of the blood supply in the 1970’s and 1980’s was mainly experienced by high risk populations – those individuals who received large quantities of blood and blood components.  As a result, the BSCP included Component 5000, which focussed on high risk populations, including research.

Under this component, which is in operation, PHAC funds the surveillance of high risk populations and emerging pathogens. At its highest level, in 2001/01, funding of $646,500 was provided to several projects with a focus on high risk populations.  However, as TTISS expanded from a pilot to a national system involving all provinces/territories in 2002, the funding targeted at this component decreased.  This was a result of the comprehensiveness of reporting through established linkages to TTISS, which now includes surveillance of high risk populations receiving blood, blood components and plasma derivatives.  As well, the advancements that occurred related to the screening of blood donors and transmissible disease testing in Canada also resulted in a safer blood supply for high risk populations.

One ongoing project, the Blood Borne Pathogens Surveillance Project (BBPSP), falls under this component. The objective of this project is to establish a secure bank of blood samples from individuals with a diagnosed hereditary bleeding disorder. Other projects funded under this component included the Canadian Viral Hepatitis Network and the Canadian Blood and Marrow Transplant Mini-Registry.

The National Working Party for Data Review (NWPDR)

The NWPDR supports all of the above five components and effectively operates as the BSCP Steering Committee. The NWPDR is comprised of 10 core members selected for their scientific, medical or epidemiological expertise who review and evaluate the data concerning the safety of transfusion of blood/blood products and transplantation of cells, tissues and organs. The chair is selected by the Director of BSSHCAID. The committee also includes two liaison representatives (a professional from an organization such as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US Food and Drug Administration, World Health Organization and other national surveillance systems) and ex-officio representatives (representatives from the BSSHCAID, Biologics and Genetic Therapies Directorate, Marketed Health Products Directorate, as well as Héma-Québec and Canadian Blood Services).

The NWPDR has been instituted to review the data from all surveillance systems twice a year. They also develop research questions and hypotheses for investigation purposes and provide guidance to the PHAC on emerging issues related to serious or unusual adverse events associated with the use of these products that should be investigated further. The NWDPR reports to the Director of BSSHAID (National Working Party for Data Review - Terms of Reference, 2007).

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