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Model for blood collections management
Article first published online: 3 DEC 2010
DOI: 10.1111/j.1537-2995.2010.02944.x
© 2010 American Association of Blood Banks
Issue
Transfusion
Special Issue: Journal of Blood Services Management
Volume 50, Issue 12pt2, pages 2778–2784, December 2010
Additional Information
How to Cite
Lowalekar, H. and Ravichandran, N. (2010), Model for blood collections management. Transfusion, 50: 2778–2784. doi: 10.1111/j.1537-2995.2010.02944.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 3 DEC 2010
- Article first published online: 3 DEC 2010
- Received for publication July 22, 2010; revision received August 16, 2010, and accepted September 14, 2010.
- Abstract
- Article
- References
- Cited By
BACKGROUND: A typical blood bank gets its major supply of blood from organizing blood donation camps. The quantity of blood collected in the blood donation drives is random and it might be sensible to cut off the supply at some level to reduce the wastages by overcollection.
STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: In this paper we introduce two new cutoff level policies and compare their performance with the policy of collecting all the available supply at blood collection drives, which is quite prevalent among the blood banks. We develop a simulation model for collection that enables such comparison on the basis of shortages, wastages, and total costs.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The results obtained from the simulation model for a real-life situation show that the cutoff level policies are better than the unrestricted collection policy in controlling total costs. They also result in less wastage in the system for a given level of shortages.