A structured approach to analyse logistics risks in the blood transfusion process

AbstractBlood transfusion is a critical health care process due to the nature of the products handled and the complexity driven by the strong interdependence among the sub ‐processes involved. Most of the errors causing adverse events originate during the blood logistics activities. Several literature contributions apply risk management to the transfusion process but often in a fragmented and reactive way. Moreover, few of them focus on logistics risks and assess th e effectiveness of risk responses through operational key performance indicators (KPIs). The present paper applies a comprehensive and structured approach to proactively identify and analyse logistics risks as well as define responses to improve blood bag traceability, focusing on hospital wards. Th e implementation of such actions is monitored by specific KPIs whose measurement enables an improved communication flow among actors allowing to uncover residual risks. Future research will extend the application to further blood transfusion settings and supply chain echelons. The outcomes of this w ork might assist practitioners in improving policy making about blood supply chains. As a matter of fact, they allow a better understanding of the associated material and informational flows and the related risks, which supports setting effective strategies to either prevent adverse events or mitiga te their effects.
Source: Journal of Healthcare Risk Management - Category: Hospital Management Authors: Tags: Clinical/Patient Safety Source Type: research