Effective emergency response requires more than getting equipment and personnel to the scene. As important is determining what supplies are available and where they are available, as well as ensuring that required supplies are staged and deployed in a manner that effectively meets the needs of the situation and any contingencies that might arise. This kind of responsiveness requires two important capabilities: an awareness of what supplies are available and the ability to communicate, easily and comprehensively, the status of those supplies. As any supply chain manager will tell you, inventory planning and awareness is critical to successful emergency response.

A web-based system for data collection and validation

KBSI, in a project funded by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and currently in phase III, is developing a web-based Blood Availability and Safety Information System (BASIS). BASIS gives DHHS the ability to compile and analyze blood collection and usage information from civilian hospitals and blood centers, providing them with crucial information for developing blood use policies and procedures, for better managing and projecting the use of the nation’s blood resources, and for keeping blood and user data secure. BASIS is an outgrowth of KBSI’s Blood Reserve Availability Assessment, Tracking, and Management System (BRAMS) initiative funded by the Department of Defense. The BRAMS project is developing a system for collecting and validating blood supply data from DoD facilities and supply chains and using that data as the basis for blood supply inventory management, forecasting, and supply chain logistics optimization.

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BASIS User Interface

Hospitals and blood collection centers can, on a daily basis, log into the BASIS website and submit summarized blood collection and blood demand data, both qualitative and quantitative, for particular blood components and blood products. Quantitative data includes the number of blood units for a variety of categories such as collections, inventory, production, distribution to hospitals, receipt from suppliers, wastage, outdating, transfused, returns, exports to other locations, and imports from other locations. Qualitative data is captured in the form of Yes and No responses to a list of questions designed to determine the indicators of blood supply shortages and the measures in place for remedying those shortages.

State-of-the-art data analysis and requirements forecasting

BASIS includes a suite of analytical and reporting tools that allow DHHS blood supply managers to analyze blood resource data, detect patterns, make correlations, and forecast future blood resource requirements. BASIS reporting include online inventory reports that show inventory trends, in graph form, for a selected blood center or hospital according to specific blood types, any combination of blood types, or all blood types. Users can also view system performance reports, blood type aggregate reports, days of supply reports, and tabular blood status reports. BASIS provides a variety of report viewing options, allowing users to select the online reporting form best suited to their needs.

BASIS provides comprehensive support for blood supply tracking and analysis via a powerful and simple to use web interface. This functionality allows blood supply managers at DHHS to monitor blood supply inventories and forecast the daily and emergency use of blood supplies across the nation. BASIS also serves to facilitate collaboration and communication among the various agents in the blood supply chain, helping to ensure a proactive response to blood supply chain issues before they reach a critical stage.