In Conversation with Leana Serrano-Rahman, MPH, MLS(ASCP), CQA(ASQ): Information Systems and Blood Bank Practice

When IT and blood bank teams understand each other’s workflows and priorities, they can better align system functionality with real-world practice and use the software to its fullest potential.

This month’s “In Conversation” column features Leana Serrano-Rahman, MPH, MLS(ASCP), CQA(ASQ), managing director of Kalidad Healthcare Consulting, LLC. She holds a master of public health degree from New York Medical College and a bachelor of science degree in medical technology from the University of Santo Tomas (Manila, Philippines). With more than 30 years of experience, she has expertise in regulatory compliance, software builds/validation, quality management and process improvement to patient-centered laboratory practices.

Serrano-Rahman is the program chair of the upcoming 2026 AABB Annual Meeting session, “Bridging the Gap: Information Systems and Blood Bank Practice,” which will explore how information technology (IT) and blood bank professionals can strengthen laboratory operations, improve patient outcomes and support regulatory compliance.

Below, Serrano-Rahman offers a preview of the upcoming session, including common knowledge gaps between IT professionals and blood bank staff, the importance of understanding workflows and priorities and practical takeaways attendees can bring back to their organizations.

What inspired the development of the session “Bridging the Gap: Information Systems and Blood Bank Practice,” and why is this topic particularly important for blood bank professionals today?

This session was inspired by my experience that software implementations are most successful when information technology teams and subject matter experts work in close partnership.

In blood banking, that collaboration is especially important because information systems directly support patient safety, regulatory compliance, operational efficiency and patient care. In my own work, a strong partnership with IT has helped us implement robust blood bank information systems that interface effectively with the broader health care informatics ecosystem.

For today’s blood bank professionals, understanding how these systems work—and how to collaborate effectively with IT—is essential to building safer, more reliable and more responsive transfusion services.

How has the relationship between technology and blood bank operations evolved in recent years?

Technology has transformed blood bank operations from highly manual, paper-based processes into increasingly automated, integrated and largely paperless workflows.
In the laboratory, testing has moved from manual tube methods to continuous-access automated platforms. Information systems have followed a similar path. In the early 1990s, documentation was often entirely paper-based, supported by index cards and manual records. Over time, blood banks moved into hybrid models that combined software with paper documentation.

Today, most blood bank information systems are close to fully paperless, and their impact on daily operations is substantial. Electronic crossmatching has been especially valuable for improving workflow efficiency and supporting safer decision-making. Modern systems also include safety controls that can alert or stop users when a patient is flagged for a special product requirement, and an unsuitable product is selected.

Overall, technology has strengthened both blood bank testing and blood product management, helping us provide safer, more reliable care for patients.

Why is it important for blood bank professionals and IT teams to understand each other’s workflows and priorities?

IT teams understand the software’s specifications, capabilities and safety-control logic. Blood bank professionals understand how that software is used in the laboratory every day.

Both perspectives are essential. When IT and blood bank teams understand each other’s workflows and priorities, they can better align system functionality with real-world practice and use the software to its fullest potential.

What are some of the most common communication or knowledge gaps you see between IT professionals and blood bank staff?

Both technology professionals and blood bank staff would benefit from developing a shared understanding of how the blood bank information system functions within the laboratory and across the broader health care ecosystem, including the hospital information system, billing and other connected platforms.

Additionally, both teams should clearly understand the downstream impact of software changes.  Each build or configuration decision should be evaluated through a risk-assessment lens, with attention to how workflows, interfaces, safety controls, regulatory compliance and other operational functions may be affected.

Strong communication helps ensure that system changes are not viewed in isolation, but as part of an interconnected clinical and operational environment.

How do BBIS-HIS integrations influence blood bank operations and patient care, and what challenges can arise when those systems are not aligned?

BBIS-HIS integration directly affects laboratory operations, blood product selection, transfusion documentation and patient safety. When data does not flow accurately between the hospital information system and the blood bank information system, the consequences can be significant.

Key integration concerns include whether relevant order notes, diagnoses and clinical details are available in the BBIS. This information can influence blood product selection, such as irradiated products for an oncology patient or phenotypically matched products for a patient with sickle cell disease (SCD).

Another important concern is whether blood product result messages are transmitted from the BBIS back to the HIS. These results are essential for the software used to document bedside blood transfusions accurately and safely.

Patient identity management is also critical. If a registration error creates a duplicate medical record number (MRN), the patient’s historical blood bank record may be tied to a different MRN, creating the risk of missing crucial information such as clinically significant antibodies.

Aligned BBIS-HIS integration helps to ensure that the right information is available at the right time, supporting safer product selection, more complete documentation and better patient care.

Can you describe a real-world example in which collaboration between IT and blood bank professionals helped solve an operational or patient care challenge?

One example is the implementation of a bedside blood product administration module nearly a decade ago. This software supports clinicians in safely managing and documenting blood transfusions at the bedside.

The implementation truly took a village. IT, nursing, physicians and the blood bank team worked together to build, test and launch the module around a shared vision for safer transfusion practice. The system helps nurses confirm patient identity and supports transfusing the right product to the right patient based on the transfusion order.

Another important collaboration involved software-managed, electronically locked blood refrigerators to support emergency issue blood at the point of care. This initiative helped the clinical team access emergency blood more quickly and reduced the turnaround time required to obtain it.

Both examples show how collaboration among IT, clinical teams and the blood bank can improve workflow, strengthen safety controls and support timely patient care.

What is one thing you wish every blood bank professional understood about information systems, and one thing you wish every IT professional understood about blood banking?

I think IT professionals would want blood bank professionals to understand that a request is rarely as simple as it may appear. Even a seemingly straightforward service request can involve system dependencies, validation requirements, interface considerations and downtime constraints.

From the blood bank perspective, I would want IT professionals to understand that our attention to detail is driven by the nature of our profession. What may look overly meticulous is often what helps protect patients. In blood banking, precision, verification and careful attention to process can truly save lives.

What practical lessons or takeaways do you hope attendees will bring back to their organizations after attending this session?

Knowledge is power. I hope attendees leave with a clearer understanding of what they know, what they still need to learn and why it is important to respect each team member’s area of expertise.

When blood bank and IT professionals approach one another with curiosity and mutual respect, they are more likely to achieve successful outcomes.