In recent decades, much attention
has been placed on the evidence-based
decision-making process to close the
gap between medical knowledge and
clinical practice to improve the safety,
quality, effectiveness and cost of treat-
ments. However, critical decisions need
to be made even when there is no con-
crete evidence to support one decision
path over another. “In such situations,
we have to use the best available data
and weigh the potential downsides of
implementing a measure against the
potential benefits,” said Darrell Triulzi,
MD, AABB president and medical
director of the Institute for Transfusion
Medicine in Pittsburgh, adding that this
relates to the precautionary principle,
in which the decision of whether to act
without definitive data depends upon
the level of risk involved.
