title: Bloodless surgery developments accommodate patients' choice of treatment.
abstract: The medical and ethical challenge of treating Jehovah's Witnesses without blood transfusions is being met by dedicated professionals around the world. Jehovah's Witnesses have assisted by setting up a research department (Hospital Information Services), with relevant information available at 100 branches world wide. They have appointed over 1,300 Hospital Liaison Committees in major medical centres throughout the world which disseminate relevant medical and legal literature to obviate misunderstandings. The members of these committees receive regular training and are internationally networked to assist medical and legal professionals and to avoid unnecessary confrontations. They already list over 90,000 doctors world wide who provide bloodless medical care. Around the world more than 190 hospitals offer bloodless medicine and surgery programmes.
authors.affiliation: Writing Department, Hospital Information Services for Jehovah's Witnesses, South Africa.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Carikas
mesh_terms: D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D002755:Choice Behavior; D002835:Christianity; D006801:Humans; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000639:trends*