Impact of a Temperature-Monitored Blood Transfusion Network on Reducing Blood Wastage

Lack of availability of blood for transfusion is associated with significant mortality rates across the world. Blood collection and storage can be managed either in centralised or decentralised facilities. India has a decentralised blood bank network supply chain, which results in blood wastage due to the lack of data to decide on the quality and suitability of blood for transfusion. In this study, we introduce a temperature-monitored blood bank supply chain that tracks the temperature log of blood from collection to delivery. An algorithm was developed according to the World Health Organization guidelines (Design Guidelines for Blood Centres) to predict the usability of blood. This research aims to measure the difference in blood wastage by tracking and analysing the end-to-end temperature data. Testing was carried out over a period of two years in two cycles of six months each to evaluate the effectiveness of the solution. It was found that using this solution reduced blood wastage by 68% at the blood storage centre. Statistical analysis using a paired t-test showed a significant reduction in blood wastage, with a p-value of 0.044 and a large effect size (Cohen's d = 1.09). Implementing this methodology at a larger scale can help identify temperature breaches across the blood supply chain and ensure safe blood is available for transfusion.