Safety and donor acceptance of an abbreviated donor history questionnaire

Surveys have shown donor dissatisfaction with the duration of the donation process and repetitive questioning. An abbreviated donor history questionnaire (AQ) may improve satisfaction, but must be safe.

An FDA-approved 34-question AQ was implemented in 2003. Travel, medication, and health history questions were decreased by 18. Donors were eligible for AQ if they had successfully completed three donor suitability assessments on the full-length questionnaire (FQ), including one in the prior 6 months. Data were analyzed from more than 50,000 donations during each of three 20-day periods over the first year of progressive implementation of the AQ. We evaluated the performance of the AQ by comparing donor deferrals for medical history (MHD), physical examination findings (PED), and reactive screening and/or confirmatory tests (RSCT) for viral markers among AQ-ineligible and AQ-eligible donors and separately among AQ-eligible donors who received AQ or FQ.

Approximately one-third of presenting donors were AQ-eligible. Use of AQ progressed from 48 percent in October 2003 to 76 percent in November 2004. AQ-eligible donors had lower rates of MHD, PED, and RSCT than donors ineligible for AQ (p < 0.05). Among donors eligible for the AQ, those who received the FQ had slightly more MHD and PED than those who received the AQ (p < 0.05), but there was no difference in RSCT. A postdonation survey indicated significantly increased satisfaction and intent to donate among donors who received the AQ.

In frequent repeat donors, use of an AQ led to increased donor satisfaction and no significant medical concerns about donor or recipient safety.