Who We Are

Founded in 2001, the Society for the Advancement of Blood Management (SABM) was started by a group of dedicated volunteers who saw a need for a new way of thinking. The SABM founders realized that patient blood management (PBM) ought to be the standard of care, and that blood transfusion should be viewed as the alternative. SABM is dedicated to improving patient outcomes through optimal blood management. Our emphasis on patient blood management led the Society to officially change its name in 2021 to Society for the Advancement of Patient Blood Management.

Today, SABM is recognized as a key educational resource for Patient Blood Management. SABM is grounded in scientific validation, evidence-based practices and focused on promoting the patient’s best interest through effective and optimal blood management.

To learn more about SABM and PBM, download What is Patient Blood Management? A Patient’s Guide presentation.

Also available is the new Patient Blood Management – What Healthcare Executives Need to Know presentation.

What is Patient Blood Management?

Professional Definition: Patient Blood Management (PBM) is a patient-centered, systematic, evidence-based approach to improve patient outcomes by managing and preserving the patient’s own blood, while promoting patient safety and empowerment.

Public Description: Patient Blood Management (PBM) is a patient-centered and organized approach in which the entire health care team coordinates efforts to improve results by managing and preserving a patient’s own blood.

To learn more about PBM, download the What is Patient Blood Management? presentation.

What We Do

We promote education and training to achieve change through a multidisciplinary approach to patient blood management and utilization. This is done by creating a source of knowledge for all types of blood management strategies. SABM’s goal is to work toward incorporating patient blood management modalities into clinical practice and help the public and medical communities to embrace the benefits of simple, safe and effective patient blood management strategies.

What we have accomplished

SABM has:

• Educated thousands of health care providers about the risks and benefits of blood transfusion and alternative approaches to patient treatment.
• Stimulated the development of many hospital-based programs designed to promote comprehensive PBM practices.
• Taken a lead role in promoting early recognition and non-blood treatment of anemia.
• Successfully provided multi-disciplinary annual and regional Patient Blood Management Educational Conferences.
• Provided expert advice to The Joint Commission in its development of blood management performance measures.
• Provide expert advice to the World Health Organization (WHO) on promoting the patient blood management concept and global implementation.
• Assembled the 2008 Cost of Blood Consensus Conference, which established that the real cost of transfusion was three to four times higher than historical estimates.
• Convened the 2009 International Consensus Conference on Transfusion Outcomes (ICCTO) in which a panel of international experts from several agencies (including the FDA, The Joint Commission, American Red Cross and the Australian Red Cross) addressed the potential for harm associated with unnecessary blood transfusion.
• Developed standards and guidance for patient blood management programs.
• Established The Iron Corner—a comprehensive web-based learning program to help clinicians manage anemia, thus avoiding unnecessary transfusions.

• SABM has played an integral role in the 2021 Update to the Clinical Practice Guidelines on Patient Blood Management by the STS/SCA/AmSECT/SABM.

Our Vision

Comprehensive patient blood management will be the global standard of care.

Our Mission

To improve health, increase safety and reduce healthcare costs through the advancement of scientific knowledge and practice in patient blood management.

Why support our mission?

Blood transfusion is costly to us all! While blood transfusion is safer than it has ever been, serious health risks remain. Evidence shows that patient outcomes are better when transfusions are reduced.

• Documented risks include potentially fatal transfusion reactions, acute lung injury, immune system changes that may lead to increased infection rate and circulatory overload.

In addition, recent studies report that the average cost of transfusing one unit of red blood cells is $1200.

• Up to 50% of transfusions are prescribed for no justifiable reason at a societal cost of $8.4 billion USD, excluding complication costs.
• Demand for blood will outstrip supply as the population ages.
• Transfused patients often have longer hospital stays, increasing consumption of hospital resources and costs.

Educated physicians are the key to effective decision making. A transfusion that does not benefit exposes the patient to increased risk. SABM is recognized as the premier provider of professional education in patient blood management. We have led the way in researching and promoting effective patient blood management strategies that not only improve patient safety but also help reduce healthcare costs. 

OUR GOALS

1. Research.

We continually research the positive impact of innovative Patient Blood Management Programs. Our close association with leading international health organizations means that we have our “finger on the pulse” of the most current needs and technologies.

2. Educate professionals.

Capable health care professionals are the backbone of effective programs. We currently provide up-to-date and readily available resources to professionals, including online continuing education, and our Mentorship Program that has allowed health care providers to effectively use our methods in their respective fields.

3. Educate the public.

We provide high-quality patient information materials, organize the SABM Patient Blood Management Awareness Week^®, and support online resources such as The Iron Corner.