Transfusion medicine education in Iran

Background: The optimal use of blood and blood components requires theoretical and practical knowledge in transfusion medicine. While the importance of education in transfusion medicine has long been recognized, the vacancy in this regard is widely felt in our country. In this study, we evaluated the current status of Transfusion Medicine education in Iran using a review of studies conducted in this field. Methods: To access articles related to transfusion medicine education in Iran, electronic search in the information databases including Magiran, SID, IranMedex, Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect and Scopus was performed and the related articles evaluated.Results: Transfusion medicine knowledge of various medical groups was not optimal and there was no effective theoretic and practical education and training for transfusion medicine in medical universities. Almost all of studies concluded that transfusion medicine curricula should be implemented for both undergraduate and postgraduate students because of its great importance in clinical practice. Conclusion: Educational program of transfusion medicine for medical students, interns, residents, nursing and midwifery students is a basic need of medical education in Iran. Considering our status and capacities and by using educational programs in the world, we suggested curricula for the different educational levels. Implementation of these training programs plays a vital role in improving patient safety and also reduces high costs of treatment by blood products.

Keywords:

Transfusion medicine , Education , Medical students , Residents , Nursing students