OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability of a self-reporting instrument to measure the Portuguese-speaking blood donor satisfaction in a hematology and blood transfusion center. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Data were collected from 407 donors between February and May 2004 at Hemocentro - Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. The questionnaire included items concerning blood donor background characteristics. Eighteen items measuring donor satisfaction dealt with the quality of staff-donor relationship (range of responses from 1=negative to 4=positive). Item homogeneity was analyzed using Cronbach alpha coefficient. Data analysis was based on correspondence analysis. RESULTS: The mean age of responding donors was 31.2 years (standard deviation 9.13 years, range 18-67 years), about 65% were men and 35% were women. Cronbach alpha for the eighteen items measuring donor satisfaction was 0.97. Results showed that patient satisfaction was highest in items pertaining to staff-donor relationship, and trust in the services and care provided. Blood donors reported the most dissatisfaction with the access to Hemocentro and the time spent in donation. Results also showed differences in satisfaction rates between first-time blood donors and people who already had donated blood. CONCLUSION: The internal consistency of the questionnaire indicates that its items have a high capacity to measure the same object. However, its validity still requires further studies to confirm if this object is in fact blood donor satisfaction.
Blood donors; Reliability; Satisfaction
