Is a Patient Blood Management programme economically reasonable?

Abstract

Purpose of review 

The value of healthcare is defined as the achieved health outcome in relation to the incurred costs. Patient Blood Management (PBM) is a multidisciplinary, evidence-based and patient-centred concept to optimize the patient's red blood cell mass, minimize blood loss and bleeding and secure the physiological reserve, including the promotion of evidence-based transfusion strategies. This review describes the healthcare value and cost effectiveness of individual PBM measures as well as the implementation of comprehensive PBM programmes.

Recent findings 

Overall, measures improving surgical outcome and reducing hospital length of stay, such as intravenous iron supplementation in iron deficient anaemic patients, use of antifibrinolytic agents for the treatment of bleeding, use of cell salvage, restrictive transfusion strategy, are associated with cost savings.

Summary 

Although several individual PBM measures have been shown to be effective and cost-efficient, it remains challenging to compare the results among differing healthcare systems.