Impact of explicit questions about high-risk activities on donor attitudes and donor deferral patterns. Results in two community blood centers

Concern about the ineffectiveness of indirect questioning of donors about participation in activities with a high-risk of exposure to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) led our two community blood centers independently to begin direct and explicit questioning of donors about such activities. The impact of direct questioning was assessed via a donor attitude survey and by comparing the number of donors deferred for a positive response to a direct verbal question with the number previously deferred for a positive response to indirect questions. Our donor attitude survey indicated 90% donor approval of direct questioning, and analysis of donor deferral patterns indicated almost a five-fold increase in the number of donors deferred for participation in high-risk activities. Our experience documents the acceptability of direct questioning of donors and indicates that such questioning may well have a positive impact on blood safety.