Glossary
Donor History Questionnaire
Commonly abbreviated “DHQ,” this is a standardized set of questions used by most blood centers in the U.S. to screen volunteer blood donors. The complete questionnaire and supporting documents are published by AABB, in association with the American Red Cross, America’s Blood Centers, the Department of Defense, Centers for Disease Control, plasma manufacturing organizations, and representatives from Canadian Blood Services. The final document is submitted to and acknowledged (but not approved) by the FDA. DHQ version 2.0 is the current version acknowledged by the FDA in late May of 2016.
The DHQ includes not only all of the questions that must be asked of U.S. blood donors, but also flowcharts outlining the steps to take depending on a donor’s answer to a question, educational materials for donors, and a list of medications that lead to donor deferral from donation. Blood centers may take only limited liberties with the DHQ. Centers can implement additional questions at the end of the questionnaire that lead to stricter standards for donors and likewise may opt for more restrictive interpretations of the answers to the questions in DHQ, but may not change the order of the questions or the content otherwise.
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