WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ — 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.