title: Novel web-based real-time dashboard to optimize recycling and use of red cell units at a large multi-site transfusion service.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Effective blood inventory management reduces outdates of blood products. Multiple strategies have been employed to reduce the rate of red blood cell (RBC) unit outdate. We designed an automated real-time web-based dashboard interfaced with our laboratory information system to effectively recycle red cell units. The objective of our approach is to decrease RBC outdate rates within our transfusion service.
  
  
  METHODS
  The dashboard was deployed in August 2011 and is accessed by a shortcut that was placed on the desktops of all blood transfusion services computers in the Capital District Health Authority region. It was designed to refresh automatically every 10 min. The dashboard provides all vital information on RBC units, and implemented a color coding scheme to indicate an RBC unit's proximity to expiration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall RBC unit outdate rate in the 7 months period following implementation of the dashboard (September 2011-March 2012) was 1.24% (123 units outdated/9763 units received), compared to similar periods in 2010-2011 and 2009-2010: 2.03% (188/9395) and 2.81% (261/9220), respectively. The odds ratio of a RBC unit outdate postdashboard (2011-2012) compared with 2010-2011 was 0.625 (95% confidence interval: 0.497-0.786; P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our dashboard system is an inexpensive and novel blood inventory management system which was associated with a significant reduction in RBC unit outdate rates at our institution over a period of 7 months. This system, or components of it, could be a useful addition to existing RBC management systems at other institutions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Division of Hematological Pathology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sharpe
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Division of Hematological Pathology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.
authors.forename: Jason G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Pathology Informatics, Capital District Health Authority, Halifax, Canada.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Pathology Informatics, Capital District Health Authority, Halifax, Canada.
authors.forename: Donald
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Doiron
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Pathology Informatics, Capital District Health Authority, Halifax, Canada.
authors.forename: Bryan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Crocker
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Division of Hematological Pathology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.
authors.forename: Calvino
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cheng
keywords: Blood transfusion services; O-negative; inventory management; outdate; red blood cell inventory; red blood cell outdate; transfusion