CAAHEP Committee on Accreditation – Specialist in Blood Bank Technology/Transfusion Medicine

SBB Program Assessment Tool

Accreditation Requirements
2008 Standards and Guidelines for the Accreditation of Educational Programs in Blood Bank Technology/Transfusion Medicine / Sample Assessment Questions
(Sample questions are intended as a guide. None are required. Questions used need not be asked directly. Responses may be obtained by other means such as observation or record review)
I. Sponsorship
A.Sponsoring Educational Institution
1. A sponsoring institution must be a post-secondary academic institution accredited by an institutional accrediting agency that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, and must be authorized under applicable law or other acceptable authority to provide a post-secondary program, which awards a minimum of a certificate at the completion of the program.
2. A hospital, medical center, transfusion service, blood donor center or branch of the United States Armed Forces that is accredited by AABB which awards a minimum of a certificate at the completion of the program. / What evidence exists that the sponsoring institution is accredited by an agency recognized by the US Department of Education?
What evidence exists that the hospital, transfusion service or donor center is accredited by the AABB?
At the completion of the program is at least a certificate awarded to the student?
What is your institution’s organizational structure?
Show me your current organizational chart or written description.
Does this organizational chart (or equivalent) reflect your organization’s current structure?
How are the following defined and documented:
-responsibilities of each member of the consortium
-The relationship of all personnel responsible for key quality functions?
B.Consortium Sponsor
1.A consortium sponsor is an entity consisting of two or more members that exists for the purpose of operating an educational program. In such instances, at least one of the members of the consortium must meet the requirements of a sponsoring educational institution as described in I.A.
2.The responsibilities of each member of the consortium must be clearly documented in a formal affiliation agreement or memorandum of understanding, which includes governance and lines of authority. / Review the formal affiliation agreement or memoranda ofunderstanding for all affiliates or members of consortium
What evidence exists that the consortium sponsor meets the requirements of a sponsoring educational institution above?
What is the process to ensure agreements between the consortium sponsor and educational institution define both parties expectations and reflect agreement?
How are agreements and agreement changes reviewed?
What evidence exists of agreement or change review?
C.Responsibilities of Sponsor
The Sponsor must ensure that the provisions of these Standards and Guidelines are met. / Where is their responsibility for compliance to standards and guidelines described?
II. Program Goals
  1. Program Goals and Outcomes
There must be a written statement of the program’s goals and learning domains consistent with and responsive to the demonstrated needs and expectations of the various communities of interest served by the educational program. The communities of interest that are served by the program must include, but are not limited to, students, graduates, faculty, sponsor administration, employers, physicians, and the public. / Program goals are a listing of expected objectives a student will gain by the completion of the program
Learning can be divided into three domains: cognitive (knowledge), affective (attitude) and psychomotor (skills). Domains are categories. A summary definition of learning domains is topics that the student should gain knowledge about, develop new skills and develop an appreciation of the topic.
The program goals should address technical, clinical, managerial, administrative and educational skills that the student is expected to obtain through hands-on practice and classroom work. The program goals and learning domains should be clearly outlined in a document.
Each aspect or activity within a program is not required to address all of the learning domains, however, it should address at least one.
Examples of how to address a learning domain may include but are not limited to the following:
  • the cognitive domain may be lecture objectives and/or lab objectives,
  • the affective domain may be a lecture on lab operations, teamwork, lab management and/or some type of professional development activity, and
  • psychomotor domain may be a checklist of clinical rotations, lab requirements and/or teaching requirements for each student.
What evidence exists that program goals and objectives have been established and documented?
What evidence exists that goals and objectives have been changed in response to the communites of interest?
For distance programs:
How does the program monitor and evaluate affective behaviors in their online students?
How does the medical director confirm competency in all learning domains?
What techniques are used to engage on line students?
How does the program keep in contact with online students?
What types of evaluation techniques are used?
Program-specific statements of goals and learning domains provide the basis for program planning, implementation, and evaluation. Such goals and learning domains must be compatible with the mission of the sponsoring institution(s), the expectations of the communities of interest, and nationally accepted standards of roles and functions. Goals and learning domains are based upon the substantiated needs of health care providers and employers, and the educational needs of the students served by the educational program. / How are program specific goals and leaning domains documented?
What evidence exists that goals and learning domains are based upon substantiated needs of stakeholders?
How are goals and learning domains compatible with the mission of the sponsor institution; and what evidence exists that they are aligned
How do lecture and rotation schedules as well as
special activities in which the students participate (teaching activities, management activities, participation in journal club or attendance at professional meetings or other continuing education events) reflect the goals and learning domains?
B.Appropriateness of Goals and Learning Domains
The program must regularly assess its goals and learning domains. Program personnel must identify and respond to changes in the needs and/or expectations of its communities of interest. / What is the process for performing assessments of the goals and learning domains?
What evidence exists of an assessment plan or schedule or evidence that planned/scheduled assessments have been completed?
What is the process for management of assessment results?
What evidence exists that the results of internal and external assessments are reviewed by personnel responsible for the area assessed?
If the goals or curriculum does not meet the expected outcome, what evidence exists that that goal or aspect of the program has be updated?
Is there documentation of a change/update in curriculum in response to an update of professional standards such as AABB or Joint Commission or regulations such as Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) evaluated?
An advisory committee, which is representative of at least each of the communities of interest named in these Standards, must be designated and charged with the responsibility of meeting at least annually, to assist program and sponsor personnel in formulating and periodically revising appropriate goals and learning domains, monitoring needs and expectations, and ensuring program responsiveness to change. / What evidence exists that the advisory committee has met?
Does the membership of the Advisory Committee reflect all interested communities?
Has the Advisory Committee met at least annually?
How does the Committee ensure curriculum is current or updated?
If there have been changes to the curriculum review the advisory committee input
How is the committee input documented?
For distance programs?
How does the program ensure input from all communities of interest was solicited, assessed and implemented as appropriate
C.Minimum Expectations
The program must have the following goal defining minimum expectations: “To prepare competent entry-level Specialist in Blood Bank Technology/Transfusion Medicine (SBBT/TM) in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains.” / Nothing in this Standard restricts programs from formulating goals beyond entry-level competence.
The minimum expectation of an SBB/TM Program is to prepare individuals to be a competent entry level SBB with adequate knowledge, skills and professional appreciation for Blood Bank Technology/Transfusion Medicine.
What documentation exists that the program goals and definitions will deem an individual to have achieved basic competencies within the program?
What are the documented minimum expectations for program students?
Is there a summary of the educational goals to be met by completion of the program?
Programs adopting educational goals beyond entry-level competence must clearly delineate this intent and provide evidence that all students have achieved the basic competencies prior to entry into the field. / How does the program assess the graduate competencies?
How does the program ensure competencies have been met?
III. Resources
A.Type and Amount
Program resources must be sufficient to ensure the achievement of the program’s goals and outcomes. Resources must include, but are not limited to: faculty; clerical and support staff; curriculum; finances; offices; classroom, laboratory, and, ancillary student facilities; clinical affiliates; equipment; supplies; computer resources; instructional reference materials, and faculty/staff continuing education. / What is the process that ensures an adequate number of qualified personnel (faculty, clerical/support staff, etc)?
What is the process that ensures the facilities (classrooms, laboratories, clinical settings, etc) as well as, equipment and references (computers, supplies and textbooks) is readily available to the students of the Program?
How is the adequacy of resources assessed and ensured?
Is the program listing and description of clinical rotations adequate for the program goals and learning domains?
Are references readily available to student
Is there computer access for all students?
During a tour of the facilities check for:
Resources such as student lab or a place that astudent can perform student testing.
Supplies such as materials for special serological testing.
Classrooms
Library or reference materials
Computer access
For distance programs:
Review online material.
Verify that computer personnel are available to assist students and faculty
Determine how students are orientated to the program.
What are the resources for troubleshooting of access problems
How is data backed up
What testing formats are used
Review Resource Assessment
• Review survey instruments used to collect data from students, program officials, faculty, graduates and employers
NOTE: Supporting documentation for resource
assessment must be available for the past five years if program has been in existence.
B.Personnel
The sponsor must appoint sufficient faculty and staff with the necessary qualifications to perform the functions identified in documented job descriptions and to achieve the program’s stated goals and outcomes. / What is the process that ensures an adequate number of qualified personnel (faculty, clerical/support staff, etc)?
Where are job qualifications and functions defined?
Show me the job descriptions for (assessor-selected personnel).
Verify that selected job descriptions are current.
1.Medical Director or Medical Advisor:
  1. Responsibilities:
The Medical Director or Medical Advisor of the program must provide competent direction and/or guidance to ensure that the medical components of the curriculum, both didactic and supervised clinical practice, meet current acceptable performance standards.
  1. Qualifications:
The Medical Director must be a physician with expertise in immunohematology and hemotherapy and licensed to practice medicine in the state in which the program operates. The Medical Director must be a diplomat of the American Board of Pathology in Clinical Pathology or Blood Banking. Other specialization such as the American Board of Internal Medicine or Pediatrics with special competence in immunohematology and hemotherapy and appropriate experience in the field is acceptable. The Medical Director must show evidence of continuing professional growth and involvement in one or more areas related to immunohematology and hemotherapy / What are the medical director’s responsibilities and authority and where are they defined?
What documentation exists that the program’s medical director is licensed and qualified by
training, education and/or experience?
Review the documentation of the relevant continuing education of the medical director
Please show me:
Current license, CV, and board certification
any other evidence of qualification by training and/or experience and relevant continuing education
2.Program Director:
  1. Responsibilities:
The Program Director must be responsible for the organization, administration, continuous review, planning, development, and general effectiveness of the program.
  1. Qualifications:
The Program Director must be either a physician, a certified Specialist in Blood Banking, administrator, or scientist with expertise in immunohematology and hemotherapy, The Program Director must show evidence of continuing professional growth. / What are the program director’s responsibilities and where are they defined?
What documentation exists that the program director is licensed and qualified by
training, education and/or experience?
Review the documentation of the relevant continuing education of the program director
3. Education Coordinator:
  1. Responsibilities:
The Education Coordinator must provide supervision, administration, and coordination of the instructional staff in the didactic and practical phases of the educational program.
  1. Qualifications:
The Education Coordinator must have at least two years of experience in a full-service blood bank or transfusion service (or the equivalent) acceptable to the AABB/CoA and have formal experience in education and teaching techniques. The Education Coordinator must have certification as a Specialist in Blood Banking or its equivalent and documented participation in programs that maintain and upgrade professional and instructional abilities / The positions of Medical Director/Advisor and/or Program Director and/or Education Coordinator may be held by the same person in accordance with the Responsibilities and Qualifications of the applicable Standards.
What are the education coordinator’s responsibilities and where are they defined?
What documentation exists that the education coordinator is a SBB or equivalent and has at least two years of experience?
Review the documentation of the relevant continuing education of the education coordinator
3.Faculty and/or Instructional Staff:
  1. Responsibilities:
In each location where a student is assigned for didactic or supervised clinical practice instruction, there must be a qualified individual designated to provide supervision and related frequent assessments of the student’s progress in achieving acceptable program requirements.
  1. Qualifications:
All instructional staff must show evidence of relevant certification, licensure or equivalent experience in the subject areas. Didactic faculty must be knowledgeable, qualified and must be effective in teaching the subject(s) assigned.
. / Is there evidence that all instructors have a minimum of one year of experience in their respective area and show involvement in internal and external programs of continuing education?
What documentation exists that all faculty or instructional staff are licensed and qualified by
training, education and/or experience?
How are instructional staff assessed for effective teaching techniques?
For distance programs:
Is there evidence that all mentors have a minimum of one year of experience in their respective area and show involvement in internal and external programs of continuing education?
How are distance learning programs assessed for effectiveness?
How is instructional design incorporated into distance learning programs
What are the documented requirements for mentors in the distance learning program
Is there adequate support staff to meet the needs of students in remote locations
How does the program accommodate information technology support, academic advising, student health services, etc for distance students
How is advisor and/or instructor meeting time scheduled
How are students that are struggling counseled or tutored
How is faculty trained on distance learning platforms
C.Curriculum
The curriculum must ensure the achievement of program goals and learning domains. Instruction must be an appropriate sequence of classroom, laboratory, and clinical activities. Instruction must be based on clearly written course syllabi that include course description, course objectives, methods of evaluation, topic outline, and competencies required for graduation. / How is the curriculum assessed to ensure it contains the required elements listed in the Standards?
Review all course syllabi and rotation and lecture schedules
How are clinical rotations conducted? Are there checklists or study guides?
For distance programs:
How does the program provide laboratory experiences for distance students?
How do you evaluate skills at remote lab sites?
The following content areas represent the required SBBT/TM didactic and supervised clinical practice curriculum.
Recommended topics are listed below for each content area:
1. Blood Products
a. Recruitment and selection of donors
b. Blood collection
i. Allogeneic donors
ii. Autologous and directed donors
iii. Therapeutic phlebotomy
iv. Apheresis
v. Progenitor cells
vi. Bone marrow
c. Adverse reactions in donors
d. Testing
i. Routine
ii. Confirmatory
e. Donor deferral management
f. Donor notification, re-entry and look-back protocols
g. Component preparation including special products
h. Anticoagulants and preservatives
i. Labeling and storage, including properties of stored components
j. Inventory management
k. Transportation
l. Regulatory requirements / How is required content covered in the curriculum?
2. Blood Group Systems
a. Genetics and inheritance
i. Modes of inheritance
ii. Family and population genetics
iii. Parentage
b. Molecular biology
c. RBC antigens and antibodies
i. Immunogenicity
ii. Antigen frequency
iii. Antibody classes
iv. Clinical significance
d. Platelet and granulocyte antigens and antibodies