Documentation and Data Collection: Tools for Improvement

Documentation is the core of any quality system management and it provides a workable tool for improvement. The Pyramid documentation system is a transparent and comprehensive documentation system consisting of four levels. Two managerial levels for the policies and strategies with the analysis based process descriptions (PD), and two levels for the primary operations (SOP, EOP. JD) and the process outcome documents (forms, reports, labels, etc.). Documents need to be standardized and fit for purpose, and where applicable completely filled out. Documents also need a frequent (12–18 months) update into the next version. The chapter describes a model documentation system for clinical transfusion medicine.