Blood Donor Locator Service--Social Security Administration. Final rules

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Medical Regulations
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The Technical and Miscellaneous Revenue Act of 1988 mandates a service to locate blood donors.
• Identifying blood donors with potential human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections is crucial for public health.
• Current methods may be insufficient to locate all at-risk blood donors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish final regulations for the Blood Donor Locator Service.
• To outline the process for furnishing donor location information to participating states.
• To facilitate the notification of blood donors regarding potential HIV infection.

Main Methods:

• Issuing final regulations governing the Blood Donor Locator Service.
• Providing last known personal mailing addresses of identified blood donors to states.
• Utilizing records from the service and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for address information.

Main Results:

• The Blood Donor Locator Service will be established and conducted under specific regulations.
• Participating states can request and receive donor mailing addresses if donors cannot be located.
• The service enables states to inform donors about potential HIV infection and the need for medical care.

Conclusions:

• The Blood Donor Locator Service is a regulatory measure to enhance public health by facilitating donor notification.
• Effective implementation is expected to improve the connection between at-risk individuals and essential medical services.
• This service supports the broader goal of managing and treating HIV infections.