Evaluating a Program to Increase Blood Donation among Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities in New York City

Background: Individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD), thalassemia, and leukemia often require frequent transfusion and run the risk of erythrocyte alloimmunization. In order to prevent alloimmunization or when alloimmunization is present, phenotype matched/antigen negative RBCs are transfused.  To increase the probability of a phenotypical match, donors and recipients should share the same racial and/or ethnic background.  Because the majority of patients with SCD are of African and Hispanic descent, a donor base of racial and ethnic minority donors providing an adequate supply of antigen negative RBC units that can be phenotypically matched is required to meet the needs of frequently transfused patients. 

Methods: The New York Blood Center (NYBC) began the PreciseMatch program in 2005 to increase donation among racial and ethnic minority groups.  To evaluate the program, we conducted a systematic analysis of program documentation; focus group results; and collections data by race and ethnicity over time.

Results:  The program missed the operationalized goal, a collective quarterly collection of 150 incremental units from African American and Hispanic/Latino donors, by 25%.  Significant time and effort was involved in cultivating the community connections that facilitated new drives with high proportions of racial and ethnic minority donors.

Conclusions: Although PreciseMatch fell short of targets, it has served as a foundation for relationships with the communities required to ensure a diverse donor pool.  Further research is needed to understand better how to increase minority donation using existing infrastructure and in the face of market pressures to collect blood as efficiently as possible.