Patient consent and shared decision-making for blood transfusion

The recent release of updated UK guidelines from SaBTO¹ on patient consent and shared decision-making for blood transfusion serve to reinforce the importance of continuing efforts in Australia to enhance the provision of information to patients about blood transfusion and PBM practices, ensure an effective process for obtaining patients' consent and support shared decision-making.  

Informed consent for transfusion within Australian health services must reflect current local, jurisdictional and national consent requirements. Some national resources to support informed consent processes for transfusion include: 

• ANZSBT Guideline for the Administration of Blood Products (3rd edition)
• ANZSBT Guidelines for the Prescription of Blood and Blood Products by Nurse Practitioners
• Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care; Informed Consent in health care. 2020 Fact Sheet for Clinicians. 

Lifeblood and state/territory-based PBM programs have consumer information resources on transfusion, including translations, that may be suitable for use in your health service: 

• Lifeblood patient information, including a link to the Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals Group: Yarning about blood, consent information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients
• Blood Watch patient Information
• Blood Matters patient Information
• BloodSafe SA consumer information 

A recent publication in the MJA, ‘From words to action: time for Australia to take shared decision-making implementation seriously’², highlights that shared decision-making in Australia is not widely adopted in practice, calling for urgent scaling up so that more individuals and the health system can benefit from it. The article outlines currently available resources and initiatives as well as opportunities for progress.  

Some shared decision-making resources include: 

• Bloodsafe eLearning Australia informed consent and shared decision making Videos for adults, and specific paediatric and neonatal videos co-produced with Lifeblood
• NSQHS Blood Management Standard Action 7.03 | Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
• Shared decision making | Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
• Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care online Risk communication and shared decision-making module
• Choosing Wisely Australia, 5 questions to ask your doctor or other healthcare provider before you get any test, treatment, or procedure,
• Question Builder | healthdirect 

References 

1. Murphy MF, Carson D, Davies A, Ditcham S, Donald G, Graham R, et al. Guidelines from the expert advisory committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) on patient consent and shared decision-making for blood transfusion. Br J Haematol. 2025;00:1–8. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjh.70075
2. TC Hoffmann TC, McCaffery KJ, Légaré F, Bakhit M and Tracy M, For the Australian Shared Decision Making Research Network. From words to action: time for Australia to take shared decision making implementation seriously, Med J Aust 2025; 223 (8): 391-396. |https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.70065