Blood Bonds: Transforming Blood Donation Through Innovation, Inclusion, and Engagement

Abstract

The journey of receiving blood as a patient with transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia has profoundly shaped my understanding of the life-saving power of blood donation. This personal experience underscores the critical importance of blood donors, not just for individual recipients but for the broader community, enhancing public health, productivity, and well-being. There are several challenges to securing a blood donor pool in current health care climate. Solutions that focus on the engagement of donors, clinicians, and patients are key to improving the donor pool and utilizing the blood supply in a judicious manner.

Keywords: EBM; blood donor; blood product; blood shortage; digital health; donation; donor; engagement; evidence-based medicine; health technology; hematology; inclusive; inclusivity; perioperative medicine; shared decision-making; surgery; transfusion; transfusions.