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[Qualitative evaluation of the blood collection process in Catalonia]
Ana Garay Uriarte1, Lupicinio Iñiguez Rueda, Maite Martínez González
1Departament de Psicologia de la Salut i de Psicologia Social, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici B 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona.
Insights
This study evaluated Catalonia's blood collection system using qualitative methods. Findings reveal key strengths, weaknesses, and donor/professional motivations to improve blood donation policies.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Services Research
Context:
- Blood donation is crucial for healthcare.
- Catalonia experienced stagnant blood donation rates.
- An external evaluation was needed to guide policy.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the blood donor services in Catalonia.
- To understand the characteristics and deficiencies of the blood collection process.
- To identify arguments and perceptions of donors and professionals.
Summary:
- A qualitative methodology, including participant observation and interviews, was employed.
- Data analysis utilized Atlas/ti software, grounded theory, and thematic content analysis.
- The study identified organizational strengths, weaknesses, and agent-specific arguments regarding blood donation.
Impact:
- Provides insights into the blood donation process in Catalonia.
- Highlights factors influencing donor and professional engagement.
- Informs future policies for blood collection system improvement.
Abstract:
Blood donation is indispensable for quality health service provision. The stagnation of the number of donations in Catalonia prompted up an external evaluation of the system of blood collection that could orient the future policies. An evaluation of blood-donor services in Catalonia was designed adopting a qualitative methodology. The evaluation design included the use of a variety of techniques namely participant observation, individual interviews, group interviews and documentary techniques. The field work was carried out in all blood-donation sectors of Catalonia from the 23th November to the 4th December, 1998. Using Atlas/ti, a computer science tool for the qualitative analysis of textual data, the information analysis partially followed the prescriptions of "grounded theory" and of some modalities of thematic content analysis. The results show the basic characteristics and deficiencies of the process and its organization, describing their strong and weak points. The findings also detail arguments on blood donation that the agents implied in the process, donors an professionals, use. We also report what reasons the blood-donor service managers/providers gave for donating blood, and what perceptions they had of blood donors.