An innovative modelling proposal for the blood supply chain

Abstract

Whole-blood donation and apheresis are the only ways to obtain blood components for human use. Tools are being developed to improve the efficiency of blood donation systems by reducing waste, increasing donations and preventing shortages. These tools also help manage the storage and distribution challenges posed by blood products with different expiry dates. The proposed approach focuses on identifying inefficiencies in the 'blood transfusion chain' and presents a renewed, practical model that differs from other theoretical ones. It outlines 11 processes across three periods: before donation (promotion), during donation and after blood processing. The goal is to optimize each process, reduce inefficiencies and propose improvements based on current scientific knowledge. While changes to healthcare policies are outside of its scope, the model aims to streamline existing donation processes. This paper emphasizes the need for a 'vein-to-vein' system, which tracks blood from donor to recipient, managed by a single entity controlling the blood centre's data infrastructure. Though limitations exist due to incomplete control over the transfusion chain, future work will demonstrate the model's application, focusing on areas like scheduling and monitoring pre-donation haemoglobin levels for better optimization. Comprehensive tracking, including of the recipient, is essential for full system optimization.