Background Minority blood donations have historically been low in the United States; however, increasing the proportion of minority blood donations is essential to reducing blood transfusion complications—particularly in African Americans with sickle cell disease and thalassemia. Objectives The research question was as follows: What are the facilitators and barriers to blood donation in minority populations? Methods Beginning August 2017, we conducted a literature search using the following electronic databases: CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Academic Search Complete, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Sociological Collection, Cochrane Library, ProQuest Dissertation and Theses, and PubMed, which continued through December 2017. Based on primarily descriptive data in the articles (n = 15), the systematic review proceeded as a meta-synthesis. An inductive approach was used to analyze commonalities, differences, patterns, and themes in the study findings; interpret the findings; and synthesize the findings to generate new knowledge about the phenomena of study. Results The themes included (a) knowing a blood recipient; (b) identifying with culture, race/ethnicity, and religious affiliation; and (c) medical mistrust and misunderstanding. All were prominent in the descriptions of minorities on blood donation and exist as facilitators and barriers. Discussion The reviewed studies demonstrated that facilitators and barriers to minority blood donations are complex and exist concurrently. Community education and communication about blood donation have a positive effect on fellow community members, including friends and family, in racial and ethnic minorities that are underrepresented among blood donors. Findings further suggest the need to rebuild trust among minority communities.

IMPORTANCE Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common inherited red blood cell disorder in the United States, and previous studies have shown that individuals with SCD are affected by multiple health disparities, including stigmatization, inequities in funding, and worse health outcomes, which may preclude their ability to access quality health care. This needs assessment was performed as part of the Sickle Cell Disease Implementation Consortium (SCDIC) to assess barriers to care that may be faced by individuals with SCD. OBJECTIVE To assess the SCD-related medical care experience of adolescents and adults with SCD. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This one-time survey study evaluated pain interference, quality of health care, and self-efficacy of 440 adults and adolescents (aged 15 to 50 years) with SCD of all genotypes and assessed how these variables were associated with their perceptions of outpatient and emergency department (ED) care. The surveys were administered once during office visits by trained study coordinators at 7 of 8 SCDIC sites in 2018. RESULTS The SCDIC sites did not report the number of individuals approached to participate in this study; thus, a response rate could not be calculated. In addition, respondents were not required to answer every question in the survey; thus, the response rate per question differed for each variable. Of 440 individuals with SCD, participants were primarily female (245 [55.7%]) and African American (428 [97.3%]) individuals, with a mean (SD) age of 27.8 (8.6) years. The majority of participants (306 of 435 [70.3%]) had hemoglobin SS or hemoglobin S β 0-thalassemia. Most respondents (361 of 437 [82.6%]) reported access to nonacute (usual) SCD care, and the majority of respondents (382 of 413 [92.1%]) noted satisfaction with their usual care physician. Of 435 participants, 287 (66.0%) reported requiring an ED visit for acute pain in the previous year. Respondents were less pleased with their ED care than their usual care clinician, with approximately half (146 of 287 [50.9%]) being satisfied with or perceiving having adequate quality care in the ED. Participants also noted that when they experienced severe pain or clinician lack of empathy, this was associated with a negative quality of care. Age group was associated with ED satisfaction, with younger patients (<19 vs 19-30 and 31-50 years) reporting better ED experiences. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE These results suggested that a negative perception of care may be a barrier for patients seeking care. These findings underscore the necessity of implementation studies to improve access to quality care for this population, especially in the acute care setting.