Creating a uniform donor medical history questionnaire

Blood Centers of California, Inc. (BCC) is a consortium of 19 independent blood centers that collectively draw approximately 800,000 units of whole blood each year. Over the past several years, a committee of BCC, composed primarily of medical and nursing directors at member institutions, developed a Uniform Donor Medical History Questionnaire (UDMHQ). The UDMHQ, consisting of 42 questions, satisfies the requirements of the United States Food and Drug Administration, the State of California, the American Association of Blood Banks, and the special concerns of the members of BCC. The primary benefit of standardizing the donor medical history was an improvement in its content. Other, unproved benefits include delivering a consistent message to donors and potentially providing some legal protection to participating blood centers.