Whole blood is gaining momentum in EMS systems across the country—and for good reason. When time is critical, being able to initiate a whole blood transfusion before hospital arrival can significantly improve outcomes for patients experiencing severe trauma. But with the clinical benefits comes a responsibility to ensure proper oversight, accurate documentation, and easy access to data for review.
That’s where ImageTrend’s configurable tools, including Continuum, Report Writer, and Elite’s Power Tools, can help agencies create a scalable, compliant whole blood tracking process tailored to their operations.
Closing the Oversight Gap: 100% Review, Streamlined
In one active EMS pilot program, whole blood transfusions are tracked and reviewed with 100% compliance through a two-part documentation strategy:
- Continuum Monitor Alerts
A near real-time monitor detects when a provider documents the procedure “Transfusion of Blood Product” within Elite. As soon as that form is completed, an email alert is sent to designated reviewers (such as medical directors or QI personnel), enabling near real-time oversight. - Scheduled Daily Report via Report Writer
In parallel, a daily scheduled report is set to run every morning, pulling in all incidents in which a transfusion was performed in the last 24 hours. This acts as a failsafe mechanism, ensuring no cases are missed and offering a clean summary view for compliance tracking and case audits.
These tools provide not only visibility but accountability, ensuring every case is reviewed as required without adding burden to the clinical or admin team. The reports include the EMS narrative field (eNarrative.01) by default, helping reviewers assess whether protocols were followed and identify follow-up needs.
How It Works Behind the Scenes
When a provider initiates a whole blood transfusion, they select it from the eProcedures grid within Elite. That single step triggers the Continuum monitor and populates the Report Writer dataset.
But here’s where things get smart:
- The Continuum monitor doesn’t require a defined timeframe; it fires in near real time once the procedure is recorded.
- The daily Report Writer job uses simple filters (procedure = transfusion, date range = last 24 hours) and emails a PDF to the recipient list—automated, no manual steps required.
Continuum offers drag-and-drop configuration to determine which fields are included in alerts—whether it’s the unit number, incident ID, provider name, or other key details. In Report Writer, criteria are selected by entering the appropriate NEMSIS elements, offering a straightforward yet powerful way to build custom reports. A hyperlink to the ePCR or a printable PDF can also be embedded for one-click access.
Using Power Tools to Simplify Field Documentation
Whole blood administration touches multiple parts of the EMS record, including procedures, medications, blood product details, and often custom supplemental questions. Because Elite’s NEMSIS-compliant structure separates those into different grids, Power Tools become essential for unifying the workflow.
With Power Tools, agencies can:
- Create a single tab where providers enter procedures, medications, and blood bag details in one place.
- Add supplemental questions (like verifying medical director sign-off or capturing a blood bag ID) that live outside the NEMSIS grid but still support internal QI or policy needs.
- Make the process intuitive and reduce the chances of missed documentation.
This type of streamlined workflow not only helps ensure providers complete all required fields, but it also supports cleaner data for downstream analysis and compliance.
AI Assist for Blood Bag Scanning
For agencies exploring advanced workflows, ImageTrend’s AI Assist feature includes functionality to read and extract data from blood bag labels. Providers can snap a picture of the bag label, and the AI will pull out values like unit number, expiration date, or blood type.
This new feature represents a future-forward way to reduce manual data entry and improve accuracy at the point of care.
Whole Blood Tracking: Scalable, Configurable, and Proven in the Field
Whether you’re just beginning to explore whole blood administration or already leading the way, documentation and oversight are critical. With ImageTrend, you don’t need to wait for a formal program to be handed down; your team can start building smart, compliant workflows now using tools already at your fingertips.
Ready to see how this can work for your agency? Contact our team to explore how our platform can be tailored for your clinical and operational goals.
