Читать книгу Transfusion Medicine - Jeffrey McCullough - Страница 56

Thomas Watkins DO, PhD

The recruitment of donors has undergone several changes over the last few years. Regulatory agencies have allowed for a 1‐year deferral for males having sex with males (MSM), and societal acceptance toward nonbinary/gender fluid donors has had an effect on who presents to donate blood. Further research has raised awareness of iron depletion among donors, and emerging viral and parasitic infections have affected some travel deferrals and are likely to continue to evolve. As traditional print/radio/television media outlets are becoming somewhat less effective in reaching a more diverse donor population, blood providers have needed to become more adept at social media and targeted messaging to different groups. Patient blood management programs and aggressive cost control in hospital supply chain management have increased overall focus on cost savings, driving the process of donor recruitment toward maximum operational efficiency at blood centers from small to large. Health care reform has led hospitals to increasing their focus on cost savings, which has led to blood providers experiencing significant cost constraints. The commoditization of blood and decreasing contract prices for blood products have negatively affected operating margins for many blood centers. Blood collectors are having to do more specific recruiting with less financial resources. In the effort to decrease costs, there have been significant collaborations and mergers between formerly independent blood centers affecting the local identity and community relationships between blood collections and the donor base.