A robust, sustainable blood system is a crucial component of every health care system. The availability of safe blood and blood products is a prerequisite for various health care services — including some surgeries, treatments for cancer and other acute and chronic medical conditions, trauma care, organ transplantation, and childbirths — that extend and improve life for millions of patients annually.
Andrew W. Mulcahy,Kandice A. Kapinos,Brian Briscombe,et al. Toward a Sustainable Blood Supply in the United States: An Analysis of the Current System and Alternatives for the Future. 2016-01-01.