The Journal of ExtraCorporeal Technology Issue 55-1 | Page 50

42 J . R . Sleasman et al .: J Extra Corpor Technol 2023 , 55 , 39 – 43

Figure 5 . The Request fulfillment distributions between Requestors and Suppliers .

COVID-19 pandemic . The survey was pilot tested with ten international center directors , before being optimized and distributed to 723 member centers in July-September 2020 . Responses were received from 322 ( 44.5 % response rate ) international centers ( Figure 1 ). In brief , 35.4 % of responding center directors reported issues with access to ECMO circuit components , either pre-pandemic , during the initial stages of the pandemic , or both pre and during the early pandemic .

After developing a prototype in 2020 , a pilot program to beta test the Platform was established with nine regional centers located in Washington , Oregon , and northern California ( USA ). These institutions represented both pediatric and adult ELSO Centers with varied ECMO volumes . The beta test was carried out to carefully review and test every step of the supply exchange process in terms of creating a request , processing a request , dispatching equipment , and the underlying logistics . Feedback from the participants of the nine ELSO centers was collected and evaluated as to ease of use and information clarity ( Figures 2 and 3 ).

Centers could nominate as “ Requestors ” ( i . e ., requesting supplies ) and / or “ Suppliers ” ( i . e ., fulfilling requests created by Requestors ). The Platform assumes the storage of transaction records between users . As a request is entered on the Platform , a notification is sent to all registered centers . Once a supplier fulfills a request , the request is noted as completed on the Platform ( Figure 4 ). In a swap , the request would remain active until the requesting center has sent the product back to the initial supplier . To fulfill a request , shipping between centers was required ( Figure 5 ). FedEx ^Ò was established as the domestic shipping company for the Platform , with the shipping application integrated into the Platform interface . The all-in-one system

facilitates shipping label printing when supplying a request . Future work includes incorporating informational resources and component standards on equipment listing pages .

Liability is an area of concern . Therefore , a memorandum of understanding ( MOU ) was formulated to communicate the mutually accepted expectations of all parties involved in an agreement between the Requestor and Supplier , while protecting ELSO as the moderator . A User Agreement was added to the website as a pop-up document requiring both Requestor and Supplier to complete to become a registered center , with a two-step verification of acceptance [ 9 ]. The first step verifies that the participant read the document and the second denotes acceptance of the terms of the agreement . Initially piloted regionally , the Platform expanded nationally ( USA ), and is projected to evolve globally .

The increased utilization of ECMO circuit components in response to the COVID-19 pandemic led to a crisis in supply chain access that drove novel perspectives and methodologies for problem-solving and creating solutions . ELSO Supplies Platform is one such solution created to address a current and future emergency need when usual supply chains and regional arrangements have failed . Post-pandemic , the Platform will be aimed at a future failsafe for ECMO Equipment emergencies that systematically allows centers to seamlessly share supplies .

Acknowledgements . The authors extend their gratitude to the pilot program center coordinators for their input and support throughout the formation of the ELSO Supplies Platform : Kevin Charette , CCP ; Trang Bodtke , CCP ; Mike Johnson , CCP ; Robert Grimmett , CCP ; Carmen Giacomuzzi , CCP ; Jwana Ibsies , CCP ; Clinton Jones , CCP ; Ozzie Jahadi , CCP ; Deb Hernandez , RN .