Blood Center/Blood Hospital-Based Donor Center
Leslie Riggs, MS, MT (ASCP), SBB
Armed Services Blood Program
Falls Church, United States
Disclosure information not submitted.
Mary Spott, PhD, MPA, MSIS, MBA (she/her/hers)
Deputy Division Chief, ASBPD
Defense Health Agency, J-3/5/7, Armed Services Blood Program Division (ASBPD)
San Antonio, Texas, United States
Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose
The Armed Services Blood Program (ASBP) plays a vital role in providing life-saving blood products to U.S. military members, veterans, and their families, both in peacetime and war. Quality Assurance (QA) staff ensure the regulatory requirements are achieved to ensure safe and potent blood products in accordance with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), College of American Pathologists (CAP) and Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies (AABB). Seven BDCs were selected for this study, representing a mix of throughput, regions, and military services. The SMEs collected detailed process time data for 12 key processes, including whole blood collection, component processing, and testing. For each process step, the SMEs provided estimates of the hands-on labor time required, as well as the frequency of occurrence. To ensure data quality, the process maps and time estimates were validated through direct observation and consensus among the SMEs.
The study observed multiple timeframes for various functions. For example, the average time for collection of mobile RBS was 2 hour 27 minutes; inhouse collection average time was ten minutes faster at 2 hours 17 minutes. The average collection for mobile LTOWB was 1 hour 28 minutes, whereas the in-house collection was 1 hour 11 minutes, a difference of 16 minutes. The average time for component processing (CP) of LTOWB was 21 minutes. This study is a novel and comprehensive, data-driven assessment of staffing needs across the ASBP network. By implementing this staffing model, the ASBP can have assurance the BDCs have the personnel required to meet its critical mission and maintain quality while also optimizing efficiency.