In Focus
Leveraging technology to strengthen the connection between blood banks and blood donors
A Case Study
A case study on how integrating technology can transform the dynamics of the blood donation ecosystem, focusing on effective and measurable strategies to boost donor recruitment and retention.
The relationship between blood banks and donors is fundamental for maintaining a stable and sufficient blood supply, which is essential for saving lives. However, challenges related to donor recruitment, retention, and engagement continue to exist worldwide and it’s constantly evolving.
This article will explore how innovative technological advancements can enhance the vital relationship between blood banks and blood donors, showcasing the BlooDoChallenge Platform as a practical solution and its positive impact observed in real-world settings. Providing some background, this platform is currently implemented and actively used in two countries: Romania and the Republic of Moldova, and is designed to bridge the gap between blood banks and blood donors, with the aim of cultivating a sustainable commitment to blood donation.
About the platform
The platform is available on both web and mobile, having customizable features depending on the needs of blood banks and the particularities of the local culture and regulation. As an overview, the main benefits for donors include tracking donation activity, organizing and planning donations, directly communicating with the blood bank, staying up to date with ongoing blood donation campaigns, real-time blood stock situation and emergencies. As for the blood banks, the primary benefits include better donor predictability, schedule management, measuring the impact of donation campaigns or donor notifications, and building donor engagement.
In the following sections, a few key functions of the platform will be highlighted, with an assessment of their impact, along with practical results and conclusions.
Organizing donation campaigns
The platform offers the possibility to run donation campaigns organized both by blood banks (such as mobile collections) and by the community (such as initiatives of other organizations that want to support blood donation). These events reach donors quickly and easily after publication on the platform than the blood bank can monitor and measure the effectiveness and impact of these initiatives. One of the aspects that can be monitored through this module is the impact of these donation campaigns, such as the number of donations during the campaign, the percentage of first-time donors, donor’s feedback about the campaign, distribution of blood types collected during the campaign and many more. An example is illustrated below (Figure 1).
Figure 1. The evolution of the number of donations in 2023 in relation to the number of campaigns each week.
Thus, it is not necessarily the number of campaigns that attracts more donors, but rather the messages communicated in the campaign, the period in which it is organized, the accessibility of donors to the blood bank or mobile collection centers and the target audience.
Ensuring blood needs are met
Donors can view the real-time blood stock situation at their usual blood bank, including the demand for both their blood type and other types. Additionally, blood banks can configure scheduling slots based on their blood stocks and need in order to encourage donations from donors with specific blood types required by hospitals (Figure 2).
Figure 2. The platform displays stock levels. Donors can schedule online appointments to donate blood.
This approach has been introduced since 2024, in a few blood banks in Romania, and is still under monitorization, but results are starting to be seen in terms of better predictability of donors, better control of blood stocks, and also optimal utilization of the blood collected.
Donor engagement and retention using gamification
The platform also offers a gamification module containing several features such as inviting your friends to donate, gaining points in the app for each donation made and spending them to access small awards offered by partners that joined the platform, donors ranking, interactive team or individual quizzes on blood and stem cell donation, or completing challenges, which are achievements donors can do to earn extra points. For example, measuring the challenges module was useful in maintaining donor engagement. Thus, the completion rates for three of the challenges posted on the platform are presented below (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Challenge 1 involves verifying the donor profile, Challenge 2 focuses on completing a first donation within the current year, and Challenge 3 encourages registration in the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cells Voluntary Donors, as the platform actively promotes this type of donation.
Blood banks perspective
The general feedback from blood banks is positive, among the main essential characteristics of the platform mentioned are: user-friendly interface, flexibility, ease of use and being in permanent contact with the donors. The implementation of a digital solution is greatly influenced by the ease with which medical and donor relations staff can navigate the platform.
Donors feedback
The platform collects constant feedback from donors to ensure it meets their expectations and addresses any concerns promptly. Actively listening to donors enables the platform to make real-time improvements and helps blood banks provide a better, more personalized experience for donors. So from these feedbacks, what donors love a lot are the small prizes in the app, the donation management, the gamification part and that they have an environment where they can express their donation experience.
Summary
In summary, keeping pace with technological advancements is essential, particularly for engaging younger donors and gaining a deeper understanding of donor needs in order to enhance the donor experience, ultimately improving retention and ensuring a steady blood supply. As we look to the future of blood donation, there is ample room for innovation and collaboration across countries, which can drive positive change in blood donation practices globally.
