The importance of the blood donor questionnaire form in blood donation cannot be over-emphasized. Besides, the demographic and identification related information, the donor form has questions which impact both the safety and well-being of the donor himself or that of the patient. It is also the instrument to capture informed consent. The first and very important step in the direction of keeping both the donor and the patient safe is the blood donor questionnaire form.
However, there are significant challenges involved in achieving the intended goal of the questionnaire. Are the donor's truly understanding the question before answering? Are we able to ensure enough privacy to enable the donor to answer questions honestly? Is there any coercion or peer pressure action upon the donors while they fill the questionnaire? In the complex environment of India where the need of blood is extremely high and resources at the blood banks very limited, the donors often fill the forms in very close proximity of one another. The busy staff have limited availability to the donors to be able to encourage questions and provide appropriate guidance. The push for greater numbers by organizers in blood donation camps, sometimes leads to the form being treated as just another step in the process which is filled with minimal attention and care.
Sankalp India Foundation is committed to organizing high-quality blood donation camps which adopt the best practices and follow the guidelines by way of both process and intent. We explored this problem and sought solutions. After intense brainstorming with multidisciplinary experts, we narrowed upon a technology driven solution to this problem - the electronic donor history questionnaire (e-DHQ). e-DHQ enables the donors to fill the donor's form electronically. The system is available to the donor through a website which acts like a step by step guide to filling up the form. The donor can fill the form a few hours before the start of the camp from the privacy and comfort of his or her computer system. This mechanism allows the donor to fill the form at his/her own pace, understand unknown terms before making choices and exercise truly informed and coercion free consent. The donor then prints the form and comes for the drive.
We initiated the use of this technology in blood donation camps where the donors have access to both computers and printers. In last few months we have used this technology in over 40 camps and more than 1500 donors have used the e-DHQ. The donors, several of whom have donated several times before have very positive feedback for the system. They also appreciate the fact that they are informed about potential ineligibility at an early stage if there is a situation leading to clear deferral.
Besides the primary benefit of the donor history questionnaire form being filled in a much better manner, e-DHQ also ensures that donor's personal information is legible and accurate - something which is of prime importance, especially if the blood unit gets tested positive for any of the transfusion transmitted infections. Furthermore, it ensures to highlight an area of concern that could lead to a potential deferral. This is of immense help to the medical officer examining the form and spending time with the donor.
The challenge with the use of this new technology is being able to use it in scenarios where the donors may not have access to computer and internet. We are working on ways to bridge this gap as well. The experience over the last few months has been very encouraging. e-DHQ is another step in the direction of strengthening and enhancing the quality of blood donation camps.
Sankalp India Foundation is committed to organizing high-quality blood donation camps which adopt the best practices and follow the guidelines by way of both process and intent. We explored this problem and sought solutions. After intense brainstorming with multidisciplinary experts, we narrowed upon a technology driven solution to this problem - the electronic donor history questionnaire (e-DHQ). e-DHQ enables the donors to fill the donor's form electronically. The system is available to the donor through a website which acts like a step by step guide to filling up the form. The donor can fill the form a few hours before the start of the camp from the privacy and comfort of his or her computer system. This mechanism allows the donor to fill the form at his/her own pace, understand unknown terms before making choices and exercise truly informed and coercion free consent. The donor then prints the form and comes for the drive.
We initiated the use of this technology in blood donation camps where the donors have access to both computers and printers. In last few months we have used this technology in over 40 camps and more than 1500 donors have used the e-DHQ. The donors, several of whom have donated several times before have very positive feedback for the system. They also appreciate the fact that they are informed about potential ineligibility at an early stage if there is a situation leading to clear deferral.
Besides the primary benefit of the donor history questionnaire form being filled in a much better manner, e-DHQ also ensures that donor's personal information is legible and accurate - something which is of prime importance, especially if the blood unit gets tested positive for any of the transfusion transmitted infections. Furthermore, it ensures to highlight an area of concern that could lead to a potential deferral. This is of immense help to the medical officer examining the form and spending time with the donor.
The challenge with the use of this new technology is being able to use it in scenarios where the donors may not have access to computer and internet. We are working on ways to bridge this gap as well. The experience over the last few months has been very encouraging. e-DHQ is another step in the direction of strengthening and enhancing the quality of blood donation camps. Patrika Edition
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