Established ways to keep donor’s interest alive

Blood donation and health status based on SF-36: The mediating effect of cognition in blood donation

Objective

The relationship among blood donation, cognition in blood donation and health condition of blood donors remains unclear. Based on our hypothesis, this study aimed to explore the mediating effect of cognition in blood donation on the relationship between blood donation and blood donors’ health status.

Methods

A total of 837 participants who had prior experience in donating whole blood were recruited into a cross-sectional survey. The Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the Questionnaire on Cognition in Non-remunerated Blood Donation were used to evaluate the health status and the level of cognition in blood donation, respectively. Blood donation referred to the cumulative times of blood donation. The mediating effect of cognition in blood donation was analyzed by applying a path model.

Results

The results revealed that blood donation was positively related to the physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) of SF-36, and cognition in blood donation was shown to have a partial mediating effect on the relationship between blood donation and both PCS and MCS. The effect size of cognition in blood donation was 24.63% in PCS and 26.72% in MCS.

Conclusions

Blood donation is positively correlated with SF-36 outcomes (PCS and MCS) of blood donors, and cognition in blood donation plays a partial mediating effect in the relationship between blood donation and PCS and MCS.

Beyond Description: The Predictive Role of Affect, Memory, and Context in the Decision to Donate or Not Donate Blood

Background

Research on the recruitment and retention of blood donors has typically drawn on a homogeneous set of descriptive theories, viewing the decision to become and remain a donor as the outcome of affectively cold, planned, and rational decision-making by the individual. While this approach provides insight into how our donors think about blood donation, it is limited and has not translated into a suite of effective interventions. In this review, we set out to explore how a broader consideration of the influences on donor decision-making, in terms of affect, memory, and the context in which donation takes place, may yield benefit in the way we approach donor recruitment and retention.

Summary

Drawing on emerging research, we argue for the importance of considering the implications of both the positive and the negative emotions that donors experience and we argue for the importance of directly targeting affect in interventions to recruit nondonors. Next, we focus on the reconstructed nature of memory and the factors that influence what we remember about an event. We discuss how these processes may impact the retention of donors and the potential to intervene to enhance donors' recollections of their experiences. Finally, we discuss how our focus on the individual has led us to neglect the influence of the context in which donation takes place on donor behavior. We argue that the amassing of comprehensive large data sets detailing both the characteristics of the individuals and the context of their giving will ultimately allow for the more effective deployment of resources to improve recruitment and retention.

Key Messages

In suggesting these directions for future research, our want is to move beyond the ways in which we have traditionally described blood donation behavior with the aim of improving our theorizing about donors while improving the translational value of our research.

Options for possible changes to the blood donation service: health economics modelling

Background

Evidence is required on the cost-effectiveness of alternative changes to the blood collection service.

Objectives

(1) To estimate the cost-effectiveness of alternative minimum interdonation intervals between whole-blood donations. (2) To investigate donors’ frequency of whole-blood donation according to alternative changes to the blood collection service. (3) To estimate the cost-effectiveness of alternative strategies for maintaining the supply of whole blood.

Methods

We undertook a within-trial cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) of the INTERVAL trial, stated preference (SP) surveys to elicit donor preferences and a CEA of different strategies for blood collection. The strategies considered were reduced minimum intervals between whole-blood donations, introduction of a donor health report and changes to appointment availability and opening times at blood collection venues. The within-trial CEA included 44,863 donors, with men randomly assigned to 12- versus 10- versus 8-week interdonation intervals, and women to 16- versus 14- versus 12-week interdonation intervals. We undertook a SP survey of non-INTERVAL donors (100,000 invitees). We asked donors to state the frequency with which they would be willing to donate blood, according to the service attribute and level. The CEA compared changes to the blood service with current practice by combining the survey estimates with information from the NHS Blood and Transpant database (PULSE) and cost data. The target population was existing whole-blood donors in England, of whom approximately 85% currently donate whole blood at mobile (temporary) blood collection venues, with the remainder donating at static (permanent) blood collection centres. We reported the effects of the alternative strategies on the number of whole-blood donations, costs and cost-effectiveness.

Results

The reduced donation interval strategies had higher deferral rates caused by low haemoglobin (Hb), but increased frequency of successful donation. For men in the 8- versus 12-week arm of the INTERVAL trial [Di Angelantonio E, Thompson SG, Kaptoge S, Moore C, Walker M, Armitage J,et al.Efficiency and safety of varying the frequency of whole blood donation (INTERVAL): a randomised trial of 45 000 donors.Lancet2017;390:2360–71], the Hb-related deferral rate was 5.7% per session versus 2.6% per session, but the average number of donations over 2 years increased by 1.71 (95% confidence interval 1.60 to 1.80). A total of 25,187 (25%) donors responded to the SP survey. For static donor centres, extending appointment availability to weekday evenings or weekends, or reduced intervals between blood donations, increased stated donation frequency by, on average, 0.5 donations per year. The CEA found that reducing the minimum interval, extending opening times to weekday evenings and extending opening times to weekends in all static donor centres would provide additional whole blood at a cost per additional unit of £10, £23 and £29, respectively, with similar results for donors with high-demand blood types.

Limitations

The study did not consider the long-term rates at which donors will leave the donation register, for example following higher rates of Hb-related deferral.

Conclusions

Extending opening hours for blood donation to weekday evenings or weekends for all static donor centres are cost-effective ways of increasing the supply of high-demand blood types.

Future work

To monitor the effects of new strategies on long-term donation frequency.

Funding

The National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme.

Motivational factors for blood donation in first-time donors and repeat donors: a cross-sectional study in West Pomerania

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to analyse motivational factors for blood donation in different donor groups.

BACKGROUND

As the demographic change will result in a decrease of the population in age groups of blood donors, the risk of blood product shortage increases.

METHODS

During a 12-month period, every sixth blood donor presenting at the blood donation centre of the University Hospital was asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire assessing motivational factors for blood donation. Despite the formalised enrolment protocol, frequent donors were over-represented in the study cohort, which was adjusted by weighting donors with different numbers of donations per year in such a way that the distribution of numbers of donations per year was the same in the sample as in the donor population.

RESULTS

Of 2443 participants, 14·3% were first-time and 85·3% repeat donors. To "help other people" (>90%) and receiving "medical assessment of my blood values" (63-69%) were the strongest motivational factors in all donor groups. Receiving remuneration (49·2% vs 38·1%) was more important for repeat donors than for first-time donors, whereas it was the opposite for "being taken by a friend to the donor clinic" (47·0% vs 15·5%). A potentially important observation is that 33·9% of frequent donors reported feeling physically better after blood donation compared to infrequent donors (29·5%).

CONCLUSION

Identification of motivational factors can lead to the design of targeted motivation campaigns for blood donation. The underlying cause of the perceived well-being after blood donation requires further studies.

La géographie du don de sang au Québec : quelles variations régionales ?

Les travaux sur le don de sang ont jusqu’à maintenant privilégié l’étude des variables individuelles d’un point de vue démographique et psychologique (les motivations au don, par exemple). Pourtant, les notions actuelles de géographie sociale et de la santé sont tout à fait à propos pour l’étude des donneurs de sang québécois. Cette étude vise trois objectifs principaux : 1) analyser la répartition spatiale des dons de sang au Québec ; 2) analyser les distances séparant les lieux de résidence des lieux de collecte ; 3) mettre en relation le profil sociodémographique des municipalités régionales de comté (MRC) avec les nombres de donneurs et les fréquences de dons de sang. La méthode fait appel aux systèmes d’information géographique et à la statistique descriptive (corrélation, analyse de classification) pour explorer la géodémographie du don de sang sur une période de cinq ans (2003-2008). Les résultats mettent en valeur le rôle de certaines variations régionales entre les milieux urbains et ruraux et démontrent l’apport important des banlieues dans la réserve collective de sang. À partir de ces constats, certaines pistes de réflexion et d’action sont avancées, toutes en lien avec l’objectif ultime d’assurer un approvisionnement de sang continu et à long terme.

Characteristics of Lapsed German Whole Blood Donors and Barriers to Return Four Years after the Initial Donation

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to identify characteristics of lapsed donors 4 years after the initial donation as well as self-reported barriers to return for further blood donations. METHODS: A random number of 8,000 blood donors, donating for the German Red Cross Blood Service Baden-Württemberg - Hessen, were asked to fill in a self-administered questionnaire. The response rate was 38.5%. Donors were categorized as 'lapsed' if they had not donated within the last 24 months. The odds of being a lapsed donor were determined in a multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis showed that lapsed donors were more likely to be female, between 26 and 33 years old, not employed, have moved, and were dissatisfied with the last donation experience. Furthermore, lapsed donors were less likely to have family members or friends who also donate blood. Medical reasons and having moved to another city were the most frequently named reasons preventing lapsed donors from continuing to donate blood. CONCLUSION: The importance of medical reasons and having moved was rated much higher than in previous studies. We conclude that barriers to return may vary considerably between countries and blood services. Therefore, donor surveys are required to guide reactivation campaigns.