Mobile calculator application for estimating human erythrocyte antigen frequency in Korea

This study aimed to establish a comprehensive human erythrocyte antigen (HEA) frequency data set for Koreans. It also sought to develop a mobile app that facilitates the calculation of the frequencies of specific antigen-negative red blood cell units and the average number of units required for antigen typing.

Human erythrocyte antigen frequencies were compiled from large-scale blood donor data and 5 previous papers. Based on the collected data, we developed a mobile calculator app for HEA frequency and evaluated its usability.

Human erythrocyte antigen frequency data for 20 blood group systems, including the ABO, Rh, MNS, Duffy, Kidd, and Diego systems, were established. The app was designed to enable users to select the desired phenotype from a drop-down menu and display the calculated frequency at the bottom. The number of units required for antigen typing to find 1 compatible red blood cell unit was also displayed. Five users participated in app evaluation and rated the functionality and information categories highly. In quizzes prompting users to calculate frequencies using the app, all participants provided correct answers, confirming the app's user-friendly functionality.

This app, which encompasses comprehensive HEA frequency data, is expected to find multiple uses in transfusion medicine, including optimizing blood bank workflow and defining rare blood groups in Korea.