Arch Intern Med
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Transfusion services have used various techniques to reduce blood product utilization. Given the potential adverse effects of transfusions and the resources consumed in implementing strategies to reduce transfusions, there is a need to understand their effectiveness. Therefore, we performed a systematic review of the literature to examine the effectiveness of behavioral interventions to reduce blood product utilization. ⋯ Behavioral interventions, including simple interventions, appear to be effective in changing physician transfusion practices and reducing blood utilization. Appropriately designed clinical trials are still needed to determine the relative effectiveness of different interventions to change practices.