The current state and the impact of awareness and educational campaigns on patient blood management in India

Abstract BACKGROUND: Patient blood management (PBM), as a concept, has reached a considerable level of awareness. In the last few years, the number of awareness activities and campaigns have increased multi-fold and an increasing number of healthcare practitioners have realized the vitality and necessity of PBM. With the WHO issuing a policy brief on urgent implementation, there has been an accelerated impetus to implement the practices of patient blood management. In the low-to-middle income countries, having non-uniform healthcare infrastructure, there is a significant difference in the perceptions around patient blood management. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A capacious survey was done to understand and analyze the current level of understanding, impact of the ongoing educational programs and the preparedness towards the implementation of PBM. This article summarizes the findings of this online survey. The survey consisted of an online google form questionnaire and its analyzed responses. RESULTS: The key survey findings were that while there has been a significant advocacy around the concept, most healthcare professionals either do not have an explicit understanding of or the proficiency to utilize the resources much needed for the systematic implementation of patient blood management in their respective healthcare domains. CONCLUSIONS: The comprehension of scientific knowledge on patient blood management does not guarantee either its perception in the true sense or its implementation in the intended, standardized, and universal manner. In this era of evidence-based medicine, it is imperative that PBM is perceived in its true sense before it is attempted to be adopted as the standard of care.