Purpose Statement

This article provides recommended best practices and answers to common questions for agencies using the Whole Blood feature. Following these recommendations helps maintain accurate inventory records, improve documentation quality, streamline workflows, and support operational readiness.

This article complements the task-specific Whole Blood articles by providing guidance that applies across all configuration, inventory, usage, counting, and auditing workflows.

Background Information

Whole Blood management involves more than documenting individual transactions. Successful implementation depends on consistent agency procedures, accurate inventory management, and regular auditing.

The recommendations in this article are intended to help agencies establish standardized workflows that reduce documentation errors, improve accountability, and simplify routine inventory management.

Best Practices

Configure Before Receiving Inventory

Complete all administrative configuration before receiving your first blood products. This includes:

• Creating Whole Blood and Packed Red Blood Cell products
• Creating Medication Forms
• Configuring temperature thresholds
• Reviewing signature requirements
• Creating Whole Blood Med Kits
• Configuring Med Kit security (lock or seal)
• Setting PAR minimums
• Creating count schedules
• Confirming suppliers exist in the Vendor Directory

Proper setup helps prevent interruptions during operational workflows.

Establish Consistent Temperature Documentation

Develop an agency-wide standard for documenting temperatures.

Examples include:

• Refrigerator temperature
• Cooler temperature
• Blood bag temperature
• Temperature monitoring device reading

Using a consistent measurement method improves documentation accuracy and simplifies audits.

Verify Blood Product Information Carefully

Whenever inventory is received or verified, confirm:

• Blood Type
• Blood Unit ID
• Lot Number
• Expiration Date
• Quantity
• Visual Inspection
• Temperature

Taking a few extra moments to verify product information can prevent inventory discrepancies later.

Use Clear Med Kit Names

Assign Med Kit names that clearly identify their location or assignment.

Examples include:

• Medic 1 Blood Cooler
• Engine 4 Whole Blood
• Station 2 Blood Refrigerator

Consistent naming makes locating inventory easier during daily operations and audits.

Configure Appropriate PAR Minimums

PAR minimums help identify inventory shortages before they become operational issues.

Review PAR levels regularly and adjust them as operational needs change.

Understand Your Med Kit Security Type

Before completing counts or multi-action workflows, know whether the Med Kit uses:

• Seals — Require seal verification and replacement after opening the kit.
• Locks — Do not require seal verification or replacement.

Understanding the configured security method helps users complete workflows correctly.

Use Multi-Action Workflows When Appropriate

Whenever multiple inventory actions occur during the same event, combine them into a Multi-Action Workflow instead of completing separate transactions.

Common examples include:

• Usage followed by Receive
• Return followed by Receive
• Usage, Return, Receive, and Count

This reduces duplicate data entry and minimizes the number of signatures required.

Schedule Routine Inventory Counts

Use scheduled counts to verify inventory regularly rather than waiting until discrepancies are discovered.

Routine counts help identify:

• Missing inventory
• Expired products
• Incorrect quantities
• Temperature concerns
• Documentation issues

Review the Blood Log Regularly

The Blood Log serves as the primary audit record for Whole Blood activity.

Supervisors and administrators should periodically review the Blood Log to verify:

• Completed events
• Required signatures
• Inventory activity
• Temperature documentation
• Seal documentation (when applicable)

Regular reviews help identify documentation issues before they become larger operational concerns.

Assign Only Required Permissions

Grant users only the permissions necessary for their responsibilities.

Limiting administrative permissions helps reduce accidental configuration changes while allowing operational users to complete their assigned workflows.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Whole Blood included with the Medications module?

No. Whole Blood is a paid feature upgrade. Contact First Due Implementation or Customer Success to enable the feature for your agency.

What blood products are supported?

The Whole Blood feature supports:

• Whole Blood
• Packed Red Blood Cells

Can I configure both sealed and locked Med Kits?

Yes. Agencies can configure Whole Blood Med Kits to use either seals or locks based on operational preference.

Why am I receiving a temperature warning?

The entered temperature falls outside the agency's configured minimum or maximum threshold. Verify the temperature and follow your agency's procedures before continuing.

Why is Receive the only action available for my Med Kit?

The Med Kit may not currently contain inventory. Certain workflows, such as Usage or Return, require inventory to be present before they become available.

Does marking a product with an X during a Count remove it from inventory?

No. Marking a product with an X during a Count does not remove it from inventory. Complete a Return Event to remove the product from the Med Kit.

Why do sealed Med Kits require another seal number after a Count?

Once a sealed Med Kit has been opened, the previous seal is no longer valid. A new seal number is required to document that the inventory has been verified and the Med Kit has been secured.

Why don't locked Med Kits require a seal number?

Locked Med Kits use physical locking mechanisms instead of tamper-evident seals. Counts for locked Med Kits include temperature and inventory verification but do not require seal documentation.

Can I perform multiple actions in one workflow?

Yes. Multi-Action Workflows allow users to combine related actions into a single documentation process, reducing duplicate data entry and signatures.

Can a Count be the first action in a Multi-Action Workflow?

No. A Count cannot begin a Multi-Action Workflow and must always be the final action in the sequence.

Why can't I go back and edit an earlier action in a Multi-Action Workflow?

Multi-Action Workflows do not include a Back button. To modify an earlier action, remove the current action, update the previous action, and then add the removed action again.

Where can I review completed Whole Blood activity?

Authorized users can review completed events in the Blood Log, where they can search, filter, review, and export inventory activity for auditing and reporting.

Who can configure Whole Blood settings?

Users with the Whole Blood - Manage Setup permission can configure products, Medication Forms, Med Kits, count schedules, and other Whole Blood settings.

Can Whole Blood inventory be returned and replaced during the same workflow?

Yes. Return and Receive actions can be combined into a Multi-Action Workflow, allowing replacement inventory to be documented immediately after returned inventory is removed.

What should I do if I discover incorrect inventory information?

Verify the physical inventory first. If corrections are needed, complete the appropriate operational workflow (such as a Return or Receive) and review the Blood Log to ensure documentation accurately reflects the inventory changes.