Process mining is an underutilized clinical research tool in transfusion medicine

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Supply Chain Logistics
• Data Analytics

Background:

• Transfusion services rely on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to assess inventory efficiency.
• Current KPI-based evaluations may not fully capture the complexities of blood bank inventory management.
• Blood supply chains are influenced by numerous internal and external factors impacting inventory performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify limitations in current KPI-based evaluations of blood bank inventory efficiency.
• To propose process mining as a superior methodology for blood bank inventory management research.
• To enhance understanding of blood supply chain dynamics and improve inventory flows.

Main Methods:

• Review of current limitations in KPI-based inventory performance evaluation.
• Introduction of process mining as an analytical methodology for blood bank inventory research.
• Utilizing data from modern laboratory information systems for process mining analysis.

Main Results:

• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are insufficient for fully understanding the intricate processes within blood bank inventories.
• Process mining is well-suited for analyzing blood bank inventory data due to the comprehensive tracking capabilities of modern systems.
• The transit of blood products involves complex interactions that KPIs may not adequately represent.

Conclusions:

• Process mining, an established analytical tool, can be effectively applied to blood bank inventory management.
• Transitioning from a value-centric (KPI) to a process-centric (process mining) view can improve inventory insights.
• Laboratory information systems data can be leveraged with commercial applications for process mining in blood banks.