Mayo Clinic Rochester Rochester, Minnesota, United States
Background/Case Studies: In 2023, the Transfusion Laboratory (TL) engaged in a Tabletop Drill with the Mayo Clinic Trauma Center, revealing that existing downtime resources are primarily designed for short-term disruptions affecting limited systems. The Office of Business Continuity at Mayo Clinic assisted TL in identifying a critical gap in operational needs for an extended network downtime (END). Over the past year, TL created a technologist-led team to address major concerns surrounding patient testing, blood product management, record retention, and communication.
Study
Design/Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 47 TL technologists assessed their confidence in maintaining operations during a six-week END. Before responding, participants received a brief overview of an END’s potential impact on the work unit. Confidence, rated from 1 (low) to 10 (high), averaged 4.24, establishing a baseline for perceived operational resilience.
The DMAIC methodology, found in Six Sigma, aided in identifying areas of improvement. A patient file organization system, seen in Figure A, was implemented to enhance downtime patient record retention. Coversheets highlighting key patient information such as blood product special needs, patient comments and red cell antibodies were added to paper patient files. END communication tools, checklists, blood product compatibility labels, and additional resources were created for TL’s END tote. After demonstrating how to use newly created tools during an END scenario, a follow-up survey showed an increase in average confidence to 8.48.
Results/Findings: The results indicated a statistically significant increase in post-intervention confidence scores compared to pre-intervention scores. This suggests the intervention positively influenced staff confidence levels regarding TL’s ability to maintain functionality during an END. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the pre- and post-intervention survey scores and yielded a p-value of <0.00001. This confirmed the statistical significance of the observed difference in confidence levels. Conclusions: This study stresses the importance of proactive preparation and effective resource management in mitigating the impact of ransomware attacks on medical laboratory operations. All laboratories, regardless of size or location, can proactively prepare for the possibility of an END by developing and regularly updating a comprehensive END plan. Establishing alternative communication channels as well as conducting regular drills and training sessions will ensure all staff are familiar with procedures during an END.
