Evaluation of Dried Blood Spots Collected by Non-medically Trained Interviewers: Number, Size and Quality of Spots

Sharon R Williams, University of Chicago
Stacy Lindau, University of Chicago
Thomas W McDade, Northwestern University

The use of minimally invasive techniques for biomarker collection in population-based research has recently become both feasible and desirable. Collection of blood spot specimens on filter paper offers many advantages over blood collection via venipuncture, including: significant reduction in participant burden and discomfort, utilization of non-medical data collectors rather than phlebotomists, and efficiency of storage and transportation. However, the feasibility of blood spot collection in large-scale population-based research using non-medical data collectors has not been evaluated. Blood spot quantity and quality has important implications for the number and type of biological assays that can be conducted. This paper presents an analysis of blood spot number, size and quality collected by non-medical field interviewers from a nationally-representative sample of community-dwelling participants in the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project. The majority of interviewers (93%) obtained at least 4 blood spots, however, both size and quality of spots were highly variable.