Ethical and societal considerations important in decisions about donor blood screening

Decisions about donor blood screening do not only depend on formal, quantifiable criteria, but also on ethical and societal considerations. This deliberative process is not always made explicit, however, which makes it untransparent why certain tests are introduced or continued despite them not being cost-effective. At the request of the State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS), the Health Council of the Netherlands has drawn up an assessment framework to guide more transparent decision-making surrounding the testing of blood donations.