AABB Publishes Guide to Informed Consent in Transfusion Medicine

AABB has released a new publication, the AABB Guide to Informed Consent in Transfusion Medicine, available in both digital and print formats in the AABB Store.

Authored for the AABB Transfusion Medicine Section Coordinating Committee by a work group of the section, the guide explains the legal and ethical foundations of medical consent and outlines the key elements that should be included in both donor and recipient settings. The guide emphasizes that informed consent is more than just signing a form—it is an educational process, a conversation between a layperson and a health care professional.

In addition, the publication reviews the responsibilities of the physician overseeing phlebotomy at the blood center, the transfusion service medical director in the hospital and the treating physician. It also discusses the pros and cons of using a separate consent document versus one integrated into an overall facility document.