title: Blood distribution systems and the exchange of information between hospital blood banks and regional blood centers.
abstract: The advantages and disadvantages of centralized or decentralized reactive or predictive blood distribution systems are presented. A decentralized, predictive distribution system, being used by the Long Island Blood Service Division of the Greater New York Blood Program is described and its applicability to most regional blood supply organizations is emphasized.
mesh_terms: D001771:Blood Banks; D003201:Computers; D004470:Economics, Medical / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services; D007445:Inventories, Hospital