Planned Behavior and Blood Donation Intention Study
Disciplines
Industrial Engineering | Medicine and Health Sciences
Abstract (300 words maximum)
The decline in blood donations from younger generations and minorities, coupled with an aging baby boomer donor base, presents an ongoing public health concern. Blood transfusion is a crucial service of health care systems, contributing to saving and improving millions of lives every year. However, the shortage of blood donors threatens national supplies in many countries, including the United States. The aging population, increasing life expectancy, and rigorous donor screening criteria have contributed to an imbalance between increased levels of care and demand for blood products and the supply of blood. Furthermore, seasonal blood shortages during holidays and winter months are common. The shortage of blood donors is a global problem, and continual recruitment of donors is critical to ensure the availability of blood products for those in need, especially during times of crisis. This project aims to support a larger study effort of recruiting and retaining young blood donors in the 18-39 age demographic. Collaborating with MEDIC Regional Blood Center, our focus for this project is to design and prototype a mobile app that helps recruit new blood donors and retain existing donors. We plan to conduct surveys to collect data on blood donors’ perceptions of mobile apps and identify factors/features that help improve the blood donation experience. Our results reveal desired social media apps and other preferences described by survey participants.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
SPCEET - Industrial and Systems Engineering
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Robert Keyser
Planned Behavior and Blood Donation Intention Study
The decline in blood donations from younger generations and minorities, coupled with an aging baby boomer donor base, presents an ongoing public health concern. Blood transfusion is a crucial service of health care systems, contributing to saving and improving millions of lives every year. However, the shortage of blood donors threatens national supplies in many countries, including the United States. The aging population, increasing life expectancy, and rigorous donor screening criteria have contributed to an imbalance between increased levels of care and demand for blood products and the supply of blood. Furthermore, seasonal blood shortages during holidays and winter months are common. The shortage of blood donors is a global problem, and continual recruitment of donors is critical to ensure the availability of blood products for those in need, especially during times of crisis. This project aims to support a larger study effort of recruiting and retaining young blood donors in the 18-39 age demographic. Collaborating with MEDIC Regional Blood Center, our focus for this project is to design and prototype a mobile app that helps recruit new blood donors and retain existing donors. We plan to conduct surveys to collect data on blood donors’ perceptions of mobile apps and identify factors/features that help improve the blood donation experience. Our results reveal desired social media apps and other preferences described by survey participants.