Results from an America’s Blood
Centers’ study presented today at the AABB Annual Meeting show that nearly
one in five people in the United States plans to donate blood in the next
year. “Donating the most needed component(s),” such as red blood cells and
platelets, was the primary reason mentioned by more than 50 percent of
respondents who intended to make their next donation on an automated
collection system.
Automated blood collection systems allow people to donate specific
therapeutic blood components, primarily plasma, platelets or red blood
cells. With automation, donors typically give the same amount of blood as
in a manual whole blood donation, but they give more of a specific blood
component. Nearly all U.S. blood centers offer automated blood donation
options.
Volunteer donors are the only source of blood for transfusions.
Currently, about 60 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to donate
blood, yet less than 5 percent of people who qualify actually do. These
statistics indicated that all survey respondents may not follow through on
their plans to donate blood in the next year, but they also speak to the
increasing importance the American public is attributing to blood donation.
America’s Blood Centers conducted a survey in April 2006 to determine
the U.S. population’s interest in blood donation and awareness of donation
options. Survey Sampling International LLC distributed the on-line survey
to 60,000 Internet panel members. More than 2,500 panelists responded, with
455 rating themselves as likely to donate blood in the next 12 months.
Baxter Healthcare Corporation sponsored the study.
Automation Presents New Opportunities
With only a small percentage of eligible donors actually giving blood,
automated collections could be a vital tool in preventing blood shortages.
“Automated collection systems can help alleviate shortages by allowing
donors to give the most needed blood component according to their blood
type and local patient transfusion needs,” said ABC CEO Jim MacPherson.
“This allows donors to make the most of their donation and helps ensure
that hospitals have the right blood components on the shelf when needed.”
While donating the most needed blood component was seen as an appealing
feature of automation, 72 percent of survey respondents planning to donate
in the next year expect to make a manual whole blood donation. Of those, 46
percent cited an actual or perceived lack of automation as the primary
reason.
In addition to benefiting others, “being asked” surfaced as a major
motivator for selecting automation. Two-thirds of the respondents who had
been asked to donate on an automated system had done so. Nearly 80 percent
of respondents likely to donate in the next year reported not being asked
to donate on an automated system.
“This study reinforces the need to continue educating donors on the
availability and benefits of automated donation options,” said ABC
President and Carter BloodCare CEO Merlyn Sayers, M.B., B.Ch., Ph.D. “With
automated collection systems becoming more mobile and flexible in the
components they can collect, there are greater opportunities for people to
take advantage of this option.”
Blood centers often face shortages of specific blood types and blood
components. Typically, there is a shortfall of type O negative, the
universal red cell donor. Also, blood centers often are in short supply of
A and B platelets and of AB, the universal donor blood type for plasma.
With automation, donors can give the components most needed based on their
blood type and other donor qualifications.
Current Donors Receptive to Automation
Carter BloodCare was one of four U.S. blood centers that participated
in a similar ABC survey in May of this year assessing current donors’
awareness of and attitudes towards automated collection systems. The study
yielded more than 1,000 responses.
Of those responding, 40 percent rated themselves as extremely likely
(selecting 10 on a 10-point scale) to use automation for a future blood
donation. Over 90 percent of donors who donated via automation on the day
they completed the survey (216 people) expected to do so again next time.
In both surveys, perceptions of automation were generally positive to
neutral, with the major barriers to automation being lack of awareness and
unfamiliarity with automated donation options.
“Based on the survey results, people are receptive to automation, they
simply need to be asked, receive some information and education, and know
that this donation method is available,” said MacPherson.
About ABC
Founded in 1962, America’s Blood Centers is North America’s largest
network of community-based blood programs. Recognized by the US Congress
for its critical work in patient care and disaster preparedness and
response, the federation of 78 blood centers together operates more than
600 collection sites in 45 U.S. states and Canada, providing half of the
US, and all of the Canadian volunteer donor blood supply. These blood
centers serve an area with more than 180 million people and provide blood
products and services to more than 4,200 hospitals and health care
facilities across North America. ABC’s U.S. members are licensed and
regulated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Canadian members are
regulated by Health Canada.
America’s Blood Centers
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