Korean J Blood Transfus.  2016 Apr;27(1):45-54. 10.17945/kjbt.2016.27.1.45.

Analysis of the Reasons for Donor Deferral after Introduction of the Electronic Donor Health Questionnaire Program

• Lee MJ
• Lee JS
• Lee JH
• Kim HS
• Kim CY
• Kim J
• Huh K
• Oh DJ

• KMID: 2163120
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.17945/kjbt.2016.27.1.45

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Electronic Donor Health Questionnaire (e-DHQ) could prevent omissions in filling in the questionnaire. Compared with the paper Donor Health Questionnaire (p-DHQ), it can expect honest answers from donors to the questions relating to high risk behaviors. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of e-DHQ on the answers from donors by analyzing variations of the reasons for deferral after the introduction of e-DHQ to the Korean Red Cross (KRC).
METHODS
The reasons for deferral determined by p-DHQ in 2008~2011 and by e-DHQ in 2011~2014, which have been accumulated in the database of the Blood Information Management System in KRC, were analyzed and compared.
RESULTS
The results showed that the deferral rates for the general health status and medication taken were 0.47% (P=0.0100) and 0.16% (P=0.0103) higher in e-DHQ than in p-DHQ. In particular, for questions including hunger, lack of sleep, fatigue, endoscopy, dental treatment, surgery, tattoo, and acupuncture, the proportion of answers was higher in e-DHQ than in p-DHQ.
CONCLUSION
The deferral rates for general health status and medication taken increased after the implementation of e-DHQ. The rate of deferral by some details of general health status, medical treatment for recent one month, and history for recent one year also increased because e-DHQ induced donors to give straightforward answers. e-DHQ is expected to contribute to the strengthening of health protection of blood donors and recipients. However the questions relating to high risk behaviors should be reformed so that honest answers can be induced from donors.

Keyword

Electronic donor health questionnaire program; Blood information management system; Donor deferral

MeSH Terms

Acupuncture
Blood Donors
Endoscopy
Fatigue
Humans
Hunger
Information Management
Red Cross
Risk-Taking
Tissue Donors*