Background

In times of declining blood donation numbers, blood banks must manage labile blood products like red blood cell concentrates (RBC), platelet concentrates (PC), and fresh frozen plasma (FFP) efficiently to strike a balance between wastage and product shortages. Current software solutions, however, mostly offer manual inventory queries.

Methods

The AutoPiLoT Monitor is a web-based tool that provides historical and real-time data on blood product inventory. It uses a RESTful FHIR API interface to communicate with a FHIR-server which integrates various hospital information systems. The previous version served primarily as a reference point for physicians to gauge blood product inventory, but was constrained by computer-only accessibility. The AutoPiLoT Monitor 2.0 has undergone significant improvements, including the development of a new overview page. This page is continuously displayed on a large screen in the distribution area of the Institute for Transfusion Medicine at the University Hospital Essen, ensuring round-the-clock availability to all blood bank staff.

Results

The new overview page shows the number of RBCs in stock, segregated by crossmatch status and further subdivided by AB0 and Rhesus groups. Additionally, the explicit display of RBCs that will expire within the next three days facilitates timely utilization. Stock levels of pooled and apheresis PCs and the number of units approaching their expiration dates are visualized. Moreover, the dashboard displays PC consumption during the past week and integrates a machine-learning model to forecast PC consumption for the next seven days. Current FFP in stock and past FFP consumption, both itemized by AB0 type, are also pictured. Lastly, the dashboard refreshes every minute, ensuring that the displayed information remains up-to-date and reliable.

Conclusion

The updated AutoPiLoT Monitor 2.0 provides a comprehensive and user-friendly overview of blood product inventory. It delivers real-time updates and insights into past consumption, current and future stock levels as well as predicted platelet demand. Consequently, the AutoPiLoT Monitor 2.0 enables proactive decision-making to promote optimal resource utilization and waste reduction, ensuring the availability of vital blood products.

Offenlegung Interessenkonflikt:

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Funding: The AutoPiLoT (Automatisierte leitlinienkonforme Patientenindividuelle Blutproduktezuordnung und smartes Logistikmanagement in der Transfusionsmedizin) project was funded by the Federal Ministry of Health (Bundesministerium für Gesundheit, BMG; Förderkennzeichen: 2519DAT713).

Figure 1: The AutoPiLoT Monitor 2.0 overview page displayed at the Institute for Transfusion Medicine of the University Hospital Essen, providing real-time updates and comprehensive oversight of blood product inventory.