World marrow donor association crisis response, business continuity, and disaster recovery guidelines

Multiple institutions, such as donor registries, donor centers, transplantation centers, collection centers, and courier companies, are involved in the international exchange of hematopoietic stem cells. The ability to safely and efficiently ensure continued operation of a donor registry relies on an organization's resiliency in the face of an incident that could impede donor search, donor selection, stem cell collection, or transportation. The Quality Assurance Working Group of the World Marrow Donor Association has developed guidelines on how to establish an organizational resiliency program intended for donor registries initiating an emergency preparedness process. These guidelines cover the minimal requirements of preparedness in prevention and mitigation, crisis response, business continuity, and disaster recovery, and the need for continued maintenance and revision. Issues of international cooperation are addressed as well.