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Discarded cellular components and the technical efficiency of component preparation

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Abstract

Given increasing cost pressures, the need to improve the technical efficiency of the production chain used for collected blood in blood banking should be recognised. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) was used to study the relationship between discard rates and technical efficiency. Whole-blood (WB) collections, aphaeresis-platelets, produced and discarded red blood cells (RBCs) and platelets (PLTs) were included in the analyses. Technical efficiency tended to be higher when the proportion of the total of RBC and PLT discards from WB collections was low. In DEA modelling, the choice of relevant input and output variables is one of the most important factors affecting the validity of the results. Discarded components should not be ignored in analyses of efficiency, because lost production output also has monetary value.

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Acknowledgements

The following centres participated in the study. We thank the centres and individual colleagues for their substantial contribution in providing us with the original data: Blood Transfusion Centre, Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby, Denmark (N Grunnet, MD, PhD, B Samuelsen, MD); Austrian Red Cross Blood Transfusion Services, Vienna, Austria; Blood Bank, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway; Blood Bank, Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden (A Shanwell, MD, PhD); Blood Bank of Oslo, Ullevaal University Hospital, Oslo, Norway (HE Heier, MD, PhD, MHA); Blood Bank of the City of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (PI Johansson, MD, MPA); Blood Bank, University Hospital, Tromsoe, Norway; Blood Transfusion Centre Antwerpen, Antwerpen, Belgium; Blood Transfusion Service, Swiss Red Cross, Aarau, Switzerland; Blood Transfusion Service, Swiss Red Cross, Vaud, Switzerland; Finnish Red Cross Blood Service, Helsinki, Finland; Funen Transfusion Service, Odense, Denmark (J Georgsen, MD; K Titlestad, MD, PhD); National Blood Service, NHS, Birmingham, United Kingdom (V Sydenham, ACMA); Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service, NHS, Belfast, United Kingdom (WM McClelland, MB FRCPath); Portuguese Blood Institute, Lisbon, Portugal (VMC Marques, Hospital Administrator); Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation, Amsterdam, the Netherlands (E Jansen, GHM); Welsh Blood Service, NHS, Pontyclun, UK.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Finnish Red Cross Blood Service, Kivihaantie 7, 00310, Helsinki, Finland

    Marketta Veihola, Pekka Aroviita & Riitta Kekomäki

  2. Department of Health Economics, National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health (STAKES), Helsinki, Finland

    Miika Linna

  3. Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Harri Sintonen

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  1. Marketta Veihola
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  2. Pekka Aroviita
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  3. Riitta Kekomäki
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  4. Miika Linna
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  5. Harri Sintonen
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Correspondence to Marketta Veihola.

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Veihola, M., Aroviita, P., Kekomäki, R. et al. Discarded cellular components and the technical efficiency of component preparation. Eur J Health Econ 9, 325–331 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10198-007-0079-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10198-007-0079-9

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