MEDIC Regional Blood Center Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
Background/Case Studies: The clinical demand for platelets is expected to increase for years to come. Our blood center has focused on increasing the number of platelet products per collection (split rate) due to challenges with staff turnover, a tight labor market and a tight donor pool. Software was used to increase platelet collection productivity by converting donors from single to double and triple unit donations. Before implementation during period 1, the split rate was 60.1% (1.6 platelet units per donation). Here, we report the increase in productivity over four time periods after implementation of the software.
Study
Design/Methods: The DXT Donor Optimizer software (Fresenius Kabi) was implemented to gain insights into current donor practices and to identify opportunities for increased donation potential. The software developer provided training while the blood center staff educated the donor pool about increased donation potential. Productivity was analyzed and followed up with additional staff training, if needed. After implementation, the center’s productivity was analyzed over four time periods covering Nov. 2020 throughout Feb. 2023. The data reports were analyzed with Minitab 21 to determine if productivity changes were statistically significant between adjacent time periods (two sample proportions, Fisher’s exact test, CI 95% for difference).
Results/Findings: During period 1, the distribution between singles, doubles and triples was 28.2, 62.1 and 9.7%, respectively (Table). Over the course of four additional time periods, the proportion of singles decreased to 7.1% while triples steadily increased from 9.7% to 35.3%, presumably at the expense of the double products, which decreased from 62.1% to 57.7% in period 5. For singles, the decrease was statistically significant from period to period (p < 0.05); the increase of triples was also significant; however, the decrease in singles was no longer significant after period 4 (p=0.318). During periods 4 and 5 (Mar. 2022-Aug. 2022 and Sep. 2022-Feb. 2023), the split rate increased further to 97.8% and 108.3%, respectively, reflecting the increase in doubles and triples. Conclusions: With the help of the DXT Donor Optimizer as a tool, we were able to drive productivity by identifying candidate donors, adjusting collection targets, and educating operators with potential for optimization. The data analysis demonstrated that donor and staff education at the blood center was successful, resulting in a statistically significant shift from single and double products to double and triple products, increasing overall platelet availability.
Importance of research: To provide platelet products to patients using technology and innovation.
