BrianK

You should also remember that the system has to be supported from a software and hardware perspective. This is typically done by vendor staff, which need to be paid, as well. There are always bugs and other support issues that add to the cost of supporting the system, which, in a hospital environment, usually requires 24x7 support access. Most BB systems also need to be interfaced to the HIS or LIS in use, even if from the same provider. HL7 interfaces, while relatively standard, still add a layer of complexity, which again, adds to the cost of the system (HL7 interfaces are big business because they are ingrained in every system in some way) Finally, in the US, you need to stay compliant with the FDA (510k), which is expensive. All these things considered, if the systems are too "cheap", the vendors lose money on them. That's why there are so few HIS vendors offering BB systems, and even fewer companies focused on just the BB component. I will close by saying that if you can get any BB system for less that $50K, you're doing pretty good.

Sheri, You may want to check out Psyche Systems Corporation. They have a module called SBB Blood Bank Inventory and Transfusion Module. While it is a full system, it can exist standalone and can be scaled back to what you need it for. It is very affordable as blood bank software goes. There is a screen that allows you to barcode a unit and create sub-id's or aliquots of any component type. There are many of the fields that you referenced to store the information, and it also prints ISBT compliant component labels. It carries the FDA 510K approval and is ISBT-128 compliant. It's also web-deployed. Their website is http://www.psychesystems.com. I hope this helps you. BrianK

There is a simple and affordable FDA approved Transfusion Module that is delivered via a hosted/web-deployed method. It's designed for small blood banks facing all the new ISBT128 regs, that are not computerized, or don't think they can justify the cost and complexity of most available systems, and only want/need something more basic. Web-deployment makes it easy to implement and own. It provides Inventory Management/Tracking, Online Patient Histories and Type/Screen/XM worksheets, and Standard and User-definable Management Reports. It also generates labels for pooled, split, etc.. components. Again, it doesn't provide all the "fool-proof" bells and whistles, but it seems very well suited to those labs that need to get off a paper system very affordably. There are many labs out there that fit this bill, that can't spend $75-$100K+ for a system. It's called SBB (Simple Blood Bank) from Psyche Systems Corporation (http://www.psychesystems.com/sbbhome.htm). They're a best-of-breed LIS vendor with this nice little add-on.