A generic blood banking and transfusion process-oriented architecture for virtual organizations.

BACKGROUND

Blood banks are an important part of healthcare systems. They embrace critical processes that start with donor recruitment and blood collection, followed by blood processing to produce different types of blood components used in transfusions, blood storage, blood distribution, and transfusion. Blood components must be generated at high quality, preserved safely, and transfused in a timely manner. This can be achieved by operating interrelated processes within a complex network. There is no comprehensive blueprint of Blood Banking and Transfusion (BB&T) processes and their relationships; therefore, this study aims to develop and evaluate a BB&T process architecture using the Riva method.

RESEARCH DESIGN

This research adopts a design science research methodology process (DSRM) that aims to create artifacts for the purpose of serving humanity through six phases: identifying problems, identifying solutions and objectives, designing and developing artifacts, demonstrating and evaluating the artifacts, and communicating the work. The adapted DSRM process is used to build a process architecture in the BB&T unit to improve the quality and strategic planning of BB&T processes. Applying the adapted DSRM process generated four increments before the outcomes were communicated as a highly comprehensive BB&T process architecture (BB&TPA) blueprint for virtual organizations. Finally, the generated BB&TPA is tested and validated at a reference hospital.

RESULTS

A Riva-based process architecture diagram was successfully developed, acting as a reference model for virtual BB&T organizations. It is a novel output in the domain of BB&T and can also be considered as a reference model to evaluate the existing processes in BB&T real-world units. This assists domain experts in performing gap analysis in their BB&T units and paths for developing BB&T management information systems and can be incorporated in the inspection workflow of accreditation organizations.