Sometimes, in fact, transfusions are downright unfunny. Giving people red blood cells that are incompatible with their blood type is a primary cause of preventable deaths during transfusions. Moreover, accidentally collecting blood from people infected with HIV or hepatitis affects the overall safety of the nation's blood supply. That's why KU's Costas Tsatsoulis is in the hunt for ways to reduce errors in both the collection and transfusion of blood. Errors aren't only caused by humans.
Errors can come from the environment, such as bad lighting.
The data analysis will identify where the faults lie. Data could show that more near misses occur at certain times of day or on holidays. Perhaps a blood procedure itself may be the root cause of near misses. If the research of Costas Tsatsoulis succeeds, there'll be fewer errors made in blood collection and transfusion.