The Use of Web Technology and IoT to Contribute to the Management of Blood Banks in Developing Countries

Abstract

Health-care-sector-related activities are more accessible and faster as a result of technological development. Technology such as the Internet of Things (IoT) can work with blood bank services to manage and provide healthy blood in emergencies. However, there are many problems in blood bank management and inventory monitoring, especially in developing countries as compared to developed ones. The lack of an adequate and safe blood supply is a major limitation to health care in the developing world. The instability of the electric power in developing countries may lead to a temperature departure from the recommended for keeping blood inventory, and the use of manual systems, which are characterized by time and resource exhaustion and human mistakes, augments the management problems. This study aims to introduce a reliable, practical application to manage and organize the blood bank, manage donor information, monitor inventory, and obtain matching blood types as quickly as possible. The proposed system was designed and implemented in two parts: using Web technology for enhanced data management and using an IoT sensor for blood inventory temperature monitoring in real time. The test stage helped us to measure the Web application’s functionality with sensors, and the results were encouraging. Obtaining and monitoring blood bank data were made easier in real time by using the black box method for functionalities testing. The evaluation step was performed using a questionnaire instrument based on three parameters: Satisfaction, Effectiveness, and Efficiency. The questionnaire was answered by 22 participants working in the blood bank management field. The results indicated that end users generally responded positively to the system which improved blood bank administration and services. This indicated efficiency of the application and the desire to adopt it. Integrating the two technologies can enhance usability and applicability in the health care sector.