Addressing Issues in Blood Products Transportation in Sabah: A Qualitative Study
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Abstract
Introduction: The role of blood products transportation in delivering emergency clinical service for patients is vital, well defined and cannot be underestimated. Published data is scant on blood products transportation and its barriers in Malaysia. Hence, this study was conducted to determine the issues of blood products transportation in Sabah, the easternmost state of Malaysia. Materials and methods: A qualitative study was carried out on eight participants from the Likas and Tuaran Hospitals in Sabah, who were selected through purposeful sampling. Data was collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews via telephone calls and analyzed using conventional thematic analysis method. This study followed the “Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) checklist. Results: Data analysis extracted 3 main themes of problems in blood products transportation in this region of Sabah. Each theme was divided into several subthemes to encompass multiple perspectives point of discussion. The first theme is the “efficiency” with 3 subthemes, namely “time-consuming”, “unavailability of blood supply”, and “high financial cost”. The second theme is “safety” with 2 subthemes, “deterioration in quality of blood products and wastage” and “risk of accidents to staff”. The third theme is “human resource” with 2 subthemes which are “multi-commitment” and “improper staff attitude and lack of responsibility”. Conclusion: This study highlights the issues plaguing blood products transportation in Sabah, namely concerns regarding efficiency, safety and human resource. Recommendations to overcome these barriers include the use of technology such as drones coupled with mobile applications.
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