Blood transfusion is a critical medical procedure that can save lives in various situations. However, according to Chevalier et al. (2016), as stated in the article of Kavulavu et al. (2022) entitled "Challenges facing blood transfusion services at a regional blood transfusion center in Western Kenya," blood transfusion services face many difficulties. One of which is the overall community reluctance to donate blood.
Thus, this question focuses on the difficulties of engaging the community to recruit voluntary blood donors and ensuring a consistent and varied blood supply at blood transfusion centers.
This question also seeks to explore strategies like outreach campaigns, educational initiatives, and donor retention programs to effectively address these challenges and encourage regular blood donation.
Blood banks are essential to our healthcare system as it functions to provide the patients in need with a consistent supply of blood and blood products. According to Lee (2016), the foundation of today's blood service is voluntary, non‐remunerated blood donation, which is heavily dependent on community involvement and support. Some challenges encountered in recruiting blood donors include having fear of needles, misconceptions or false beliefs, donor ineligibility due to their lifestyle, lack of education and awareness, and time constraints because of conflicting schedule and distant blood donation site ("10 reasons for not donating," 2024). In order to address these concerns, strategies such as utilizing a range of media platforms, including radio, television, social media, and billboards, to disseminate awareness about the value of blood donation, to educate, and to debunk myths and misconceptions can help recruit voluntary blood donors. Apart from friends and family, who are by far the primary motivators for first-time-donors, social media has emerged as the second most significant factor in attracting new donors (Sümnig et al., 2018). In addition, hosting blood drives in places of community centers, heavy traffic areas, and educational institutions can make blood donation more accessible to potential donors. Lastly, establishing initiatives that show gratitude and recognition for donors via pins, certificates, or mentions on social media is also a great strategy in order to appreciate blood donors. Through focused strategies and coordinated efforts, blood banks can improve their ability to attract and retain voluntary blood donors, ultimately ensuring an adequate supply of blood for patients in need.
References:
10 reasons for not donating. (2024, March 1). Miller-Keystone Blood Center. https://www.giveapint.org/10-reasons-for-not-donating/
Lee, C. (2016, June 1). Update on donor recruitment and management in blood service. Semantic Scholar. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Update-on-donor-recruitment-and-management-in-blood-Lee/2aa2f86a69a4d7e0062d8181e1cb11073dd0a1a7
Sümnig, A., Greinacher, A., Thiele, T., & Feig, M. (2018, September 10). The role of social media for blood donor motivation and recruitment. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327602905
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