Questions in Transfusion: When disaster strikes

When things go wrong, either on a local level or a more widespread level, your facility should have plans in place so everyone knows the next steps. A business continuity plan (BCP) addresses what’s needed to ensure that business operations and processes continue in an emergency with potential for disruption.¹ It is a preemptive assessment of threats, key operations units needed to remain functional, and mitigation strategies.

A continuity of operations plan (COOP), on the other hand, refines the BCP and documents how critical divisions or departments will maintain essential operations, how long they can be maintained, and critical needs for returning to normal. Finally, disaster management plans (DMPs) provide directions for how to respond to specific events.

This Questions in Transfusion, and the article it summarizes, aim to prompt organizations to consider their preparedness, as well as their need for BCPs, COOPS, or DMPs.

Question: How do you classify events that disrupt operations?

Major incident. An event that presents a serious threat to the health of the community, disruption to service, or causes (or may cause) such numbers and types of casualties as to require special arrangements.
Mass casualty incidents or events. An incident or event (or series thereof) that causes casualties on a scale beyond the ability of normal resources of emergency and healthcare services.
Business continuity incident. An event that disrupts, or may disrupt, normal service to below acceptable predefined levels, requiring special arrangements.

Question: What’s key to a strong BCP?

Risk assessment of anything that could negatively impact an organization
Business impact analysis¹

Representation both from organizational management (CFO/CEO/COO, HR, logistics) and the key management representatives who oversee critical operational divisions and infrastructure is essential. Once the assessment is complete, the workgroups should move on to develop a COOP.

Question: What happens after the emergency is resolved?

A root cause analysis should be carried out to see if something specific was missed in the BCP/COOP. Careful dissection of the event could lead to significate changes in the BCP, which means the organization will be better prepared in the future.

Summary

Laboratories should ensure they have a BCP and, as necessary, COOPs and DMPs, in place. Hospital-based labs should coordinate with the larger organization to ensure it understands the lab’s role in patient care, as well as advocate for their unique needs in the face of a disaster. Independent labs will be responsible for their own emergency plans. In either case, collaboration and support is key.

Table of contents

Questions in Transfusion: When disaster strikes

Question: How do you classify events that disrupt operations?

Question: What’s key to a strong BCP?

Question: What happens after the emergency is resolved?

Summary

Further Reading