A scoping review of sociology of voluntary blood donation

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Maintaining stable blood supplies presents an increasing challenge for blood collection agencies (BCAs). Novel and multidisciplinary approaches and research have been called for to understand the mechanisms underlying the trends. The current body of sociological research on blood donation is a potentially valuable resource, but it is dispersed over different publications and theoretical frameworks.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a scoping review of sociological research on voluntary, non-remunerated blood donation to identify insights and practical applications for researchers and BCAs.

RESULTS

Four organizing themes were identified: donated blood, blood donors, organizations and blood service systems. Key challenges associated with the organization of voluntary blood donation exist at the institutional and systems levels, and they may not be readily resolved by interventions focussed solely on the individual donor level. We identified opportunities for organizations to build trust with donors and the public through communications and working with communities to promote inclusion in blood donation.

CONCLUSION

The results support a multidisciplinary approach and research for BCAs to move forward and find novel ways to ensure safe, resilient blood service systems.

Word-of-mouth among blood service employees who also donate blood: a qualitative investigation of advantages and challenges for dual-role donors

BACKGROUND

Despite word-of-mouth (WOM) and electronic WOM (eWOM) influencing people's willingness to donate blood, no research has explored this behavior among blood service employees who are also donors. This underexplored segment is highly important, as they are generally committed to both the organization and the cause and are likely more informed on the topic of blood donation than the average donor.

METHODS

This study comprised six online focus groups with 26 Australian Red Cross Lifeblood employees who are also donors. Questions covered a range of blood donation and WOM topics, including when they became blood donors, if they had engaged in WOM about blood donation, what they had talked about and with whom, and what were audience reactions. Thematic analysis was then used to explore how responses related to the employees' motivations, opportunities, and abilities to engage in WOM and eWOM about blood donation.

RESULTS

While most employee-donors saw alignment in their employee and donor roles, advocating for blood donation was not considered a necessary part of either role. Educating others about blood donation was a common goal of employee-donor WOM and eWOM, and almost all employees engaged in reactive WOM, triggered by events (e.g., recent donations) or questions about their work. Employee-donors in donor-facing roles (e.g., communications and collections staff) felt more aware of the importance of encouraging others to donate blood and were also more likely to be proactive in their WOM activity. Along with these perceived advantages of having a dual role, employee-donors also identified some disadvantages, such as unrealistic expertise expectations and negative audience responses that can be difficult to navigate.

CONCLUSIONS

Being an employee-donor is a double-edged sword. For example, increased opportunities to talk about blood donation and access to more information can be offset by having to respond to more challenging questions/comments and expectations, while appropriately representing their employer. More research is needed among those in employee-donor roles within the healthcare and/or non-profit sectors, to determine whether these are issues faced more broadly, and how those in dual roles can be most effectively supported to engage in positive WOM and eWOM.

"Okay, I respect this publicity stunt." A snapshot of public perceptions of an online game-based blood donation campaign

BACKGROUND

With a decrease in young and first-time donors, applying gaming elements to blood donation may provide a novel means of encouraging young donors. In August 2023, the online game DiabloIV launched the Blood Harvest in which players were encouraged to donate blood products in the United States to receive virtual in-game rewards. Given the novelty of this independent initiative, our aim was to capture Diablov IV players opinions of the Blood Harvest through thematically analyzing their online discourse related to this blood donation campaign.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

We captured publicly available Twitter/X posts (n = 78) and engagement (n = 390) relevant to the Blood Harvest posted during and immediately after the campaign (October 13, 2023-November 27, 2023).

RESULTS

Using thematic analysis, we identified 5 themes relating to the Blood Harvest campaign: (1) Positive perceptions and community motivations to donate, (2) Negative perceptions of the initiative and online game, (3) Players' inability to donate and participate in the initiative, (4) Incentives and incentive comparisons, and (5) Benefiting from positive associations focusing on the reputational gain that may be accessed through promoting blood donation.

DISCUSSION

Situating a donation campaign in an established video game provides a novel opportunity to engage young donors. Through capturing public data, we provide a unique snapshot of how an online gaming community perceives and reacts to an independently initiated game-integrated blood donation campaign. This highlights key strengths of the approach as well as identifying potential risks for blood collection agencies.

Using competition for plasma donor recruitment and retention: An Australian university case study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Using evidence from one Australian university's participation in the Vampire Cup (an 8-week national inter-university blood donation competition), this study aimed to (1) understand important motivators and successful promotional strategies driving engagement in the competition, and (2) determine the impact of competition on the recruitment and retention of young adult plasma donors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We used a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design involving a self-administered survey (Study 1, n = 64) and four focus groups (Study 2, n = 20) with plasma donors aged 18-29 years who participated in the 2021 Vampire Cup. Also, we used a 12-month prospective comparative cohort analysis (Study 3) of those who did (n = 224 'competition donors') and did not (n = 448 control group) present to donate for the Vampire Cup.

RESULTS

Competition was a strong motivator, with 76% of survey participants donating to help their university win the Vampire Cup. The survey and focus groups suggested that successful engagement in the competition was due to peer-led recruitment, leveraging existing rivalries at both the inter- and intra-university level, and using prize draws to create an active online social community promoting blood donation. Competition donors donated plasma significantly more often during the competition but donated at similar rates after the competition, compared to the control group.

CONCLUSION

Rivalry-based competition strategies, combined with enthusiastic team leaders and an active social media community, can help to recruit, and retain, young adult plasma donors, and motivate an intermittent boost to donation frequency over a short period each year.

Understanding individual psychological and behavioral responses during COVID-19: Application of stimulus-organism-response model

To comprehend the nature, implications, risks and consequences of the events of the COVID-19 crisis, individuals largely relied on various online information sources. The features of online information exchange (e.g., conducted on a massive scale, with an abundance of information and unverified sources) led to various behavioral and psychological responses that are not fully understood. This study therefore investigated the relationship between exposure to online information sources and how individuals sought, forwarded, and provided COVID-19 related information. Anchored in the stimulus-organism-response model, cognitive load theory, and the theory of fear appeal, this study examined the link between the online consumption of COVID-19-related information and psychological and behavioral responses. In the theory development process, we hypothesized the moderating role of levels of fear. The research model included six hypotheses and was empirically verified on self-reported data (N = 425), which was collected in early 2021. The results indicate that continuous exposure to online information sources led to perceived information overload, which further heightened the psychological state of cyberchondria. Moreover, the act of seeking and providing COVID-19 information was significantly predicted by perceived cyberchondria. The results also suggest that higher levels of fear led to increased levels of seeking and providing COVID-19-related information. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are presented, along with promising areas for future research.

Characteristics of Donors and Modelling of the Characteristics to Possible Forecast the Repeat Donors Profile at Thammasat University Hospital

Blood donations are essential to the blood supply available for patients in life-saving treatments. We aimed to identify characteristics affecting repeat donations, and to model a tool to forecast repeat donation among Thammasat University Hospital (TUH) donors. A retrospective study for 4 years of donations at TUH was conducted to identify characteristics affecting continuous donations and model a scoring tool, as well as pilot test it, prospectively. Data concerning age, sex, ABO grouping, Rh(D) typing, and collection site were included. The outcome was dichotomized as controls and cases based on first time and repeat donations. Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to obtain the cut-off, while odds ratio was used to assign the score. During the study, 37,736 donations comprised 6,305 controls and 31,431 cases. Characteristics that positively predicted repeat donation included male, age ≥ 30 years, AB blood group and on-site donation, and they were chosen to model the score. The total score value of 3 was chosen as the rounded cut-off. A pilot study, the score was observed to have an accuracy of 67.5%. In conclusion, 4 significant characteristics appeared to positively influence repeat donation. The predictive scoring model is a simple reliable and valid tool exhibiting good accuracy.

A Multiclass, Multiproduct Covid-19 Convalescent Plasma Donor Equilibrium Model

In this paper, we develop a multiclass, multiproduct equilibrium model for convalescent plasma donations in the Covid-19 pandemic. The potential donors are situated at different locations and the donor population at each location can be separated into different classes based on their motivation and the product for which they provide donations at a collection site. The model captures the competition between nonprofit and for-profit organizations seeking convalescent plasma donations, which is a characteristic of this new market. A variational inequality formulation of the equilibrium conditions and qualitative properties of the model are provided. We also present a capacitated version of the model. Numerical examples of increasing complexity are presented and solved using the modified projection method. The results reveal multiclass, multiproduct donor behavior under different scenarios which can inform policy makers during this pandemic and beyond.

Determinants of the intention to participate in a programme of plasma donation for fractionation among men who have sex with men

Background and objectives

Several approaches are currently under study to contribute to efforts to allow men who have sex with men (MSM) to donate blood. One of these approaches involves implementing a programme of plasma donation for fractionation, with a quarantine period. The goal of this article is to identify the determinants of intention to participate in the plasma donation programme among MSM in Montreal, Canada.

Materials and methods

Based on the theory of planned behaviour, a questionnaire was developed to measure MSM’s intention to donate plasma and identify influencing factors. A multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to identify the determinants of intention to donate plasma.

Results

Respondents’ (N = 933) intention to donate plasma in the next six months was moderate. The multiple linear regression model explained 55% (P < 0·001) of the variation of intention. Intention was predicted by attitudes (β = 0·34, P < 0·001), perceived behavioural control (β = 0·28, P < 0·001), aged under 35 years (β = 0·26, P < 0·001), history of blood donation (β = 0·24, P < 0·001), subjective norm (β = 0·21, P < 0·001), income above $40,000 (β = 0·20, P < 0·001), moral norm (β = 0·18, P < 0·001) and higher level of involvement in various issues LGBTQ+ communities are fighting for (β = 0·09, P < 0·001).

Conclusion

Our analyses show that intention to donate plasma within the proposed programme is associated with personal, social and structural factors, but more strongly predicted by factors related to the theory of planned behaviour. Our results also highlight the importance of involving MSM; community acceptability of the plasma donation programme would probably be higher if MSM felt respected and party to the decisions.