How to Maintain Automated Blood Labeling during Digital Darkness

As we all know, the blood and biotherapies supply network requires cross-functional collaboration, quality control, safety, security and efficiency. This includes accurate and complete labeling of all blood and biotherapy products.

Digital connectivity supports these priorities. But what if systems go dark?

What Is Digital Darkness?

A digital darkness event refers to a “sudden, widespread loss of access to electronic systems and patient information. These events can stem from cyberattacks, natural disasters, power failures, vendor outages, software errors or internal system failures,” according to ECRI, a global health care quality and safety nonprofit organization.¹

Cyber outages impact patient care, safety and financial stability. In recent years, there have been several such high-profile events. For example: 

• 250 hospitals faced blood shortages during a ransomware cyberattack in July 2024. Many facilities resorted to manual labeling methods.²
• 21% of the internet-based services impacted by a 2024 outage corresponded with direct patient care functionality.³
• 74% of 1,000 U.S. hospitals surveyed after a 2024 cyberattack reported direct patient care impact, and 33% percent reported the attack disrupted more than half of their revenue.⁴

Practical Countermeasures

A plan to maintain optimal blood product labeling is an essential part of disaster preparedness. The table below shows considerations related to automated labeling. (These are not comprehensive; they are examples offered to raise awareness.)

Accurate blood product labeling is essential during an emergency. Manual labeling procedures are one option during digital downtime. However, stand-alone automated labeling solutions offer an alternative. Blood collection can carry on with the benefits of efficient, accurate labeling during periods of digital darkness.

---

References

1. ECRI. When healthcare systems go dark: why digital outage preparedness is a patient safety imperative. https://home.ecri.org/blogs/ecri-blog/when-healthcare-systems-go-dark-why-digital-outage-preparedness-is-a-patient-safety-imperative.
2. Pedersen JM. After cyberattack, OneBlood’s systems are recovering. Central Florida Public Media. 2024 Aug 6. https://www.wusf.org/health-news-florida/2024-08-06/after-cyberattack-oneblood-systems-recovering.
3. Tully, J, Rao, S, Straw, I, et al. Patient care technology disruptions associated with the CrowdStrike outage. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8;(7):e2530226. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.30226. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2836824.
4. American Hospital Association. Change Healthcare cyberattack underscores urgent need to strengthen cyber preparedness for individual health care organizations and as a field. 2025 Jan. https://www.aha.org/change-healthcare-cyberattack-underscores-urgent-need-strengthen-cyber-preparedness-individual-health-care-organizations-and#:~:text=Impact,full%20functionality%20was%20re%2Destablished.
5. Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies. Guidance for Blood Collection Facilities Preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. https://www.aabb.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/about/guidance-for-blood-collection-facilities-preparing-for-the-2026-fifa-world-cup.pdf

Jeff Kriozere is vice president and general manager, Digi-Trax Healthcare Division, FineLine Technologies Inc.