Communication Methods for Blood Donation Retention

(C-CAD Trial)

Overseen By Susan E Telke, MS

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Minnesota

Disqualifiers: Multiple blood donations, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 10

882 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

A randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the WhatsApp groups or docudrama compared to a control group (usual engagement with blood services) on repeat blood donation attempts among first-time blood donors in Ghana. Secondary outcomes will be blood donor retention, blood donation knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, motivations, intention to donate, and relatedness as potential mediators of blood donation behavior among first-time blood donors. The RCT will have three arms: 1. WhatsApp; 2. docudrama; 3. control. Each participant in the WhatsApp and docudrama arms will receive the intervention for 14 months. Participants in the control arm will receive standard national blood donation communications and be followed for 14 months. Actualized blood donation is possible every four months using NBSG guidelines; consequently, participants may make multiple blood donation attempts. Return blood donation attempts will be evaluated using the Southern Zonal Blood Center (SZBC) records (primary outcome) and participant self-report (secondary outcome) at 7 months and 14 months. Secondary measures will be evaluated at baseline, 7 and 14 months from enrollment. The duration of the RCT will be 26 months allowing for 12 months to achieve enrollment goals and 14 months of follow-up for the last individual enrolled.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment docudrama, WhatsApp, for blood donation retention?

Research shows that personalized text messaging, like SMS, can help keep blood donors coming back. Since WhatsApp is a messaging app, it might work similarly to encourage people to donate blood again. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is it safe to use communication methods like text messaging for blood donation retention?

The research on using text messaging and other communication methods for blood donation retention does not report any safety concerns, suggesting these methods are generally safe for human use. ^{2 4 5 6 7}

How does the WhatsApp treatment for blood donation retention differ from other treatments?

The WhatsApp treatment for blood donation retention is unique because it uses a popular messaging app to send persuasive communication messages to donors, aiming to increase their return rates. Unlike traditional methods, this approach leverages mobile health technology to potentially overcome geographical and socioeconomic barriers, although it was not found to be effective in increasing return rates in the study. ^{1 2 4 8 9}

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for first-time blood donors in Ghana who are at least 18 years old, understand English, Twi, or Ga, have a smartphone with WhatsApp or are willing to sign up for it. They must be eligible to donate again and agree to watch a docudrama on blood donation.

Inclusion Criteria

I am a first-time blood donor at the SZBC of the NBSG.

You possess a smartphone.

I am willing to watch a film on blood donation with others.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

12 months

Intervention

Participants receive either WhatsApp messages or attend docudrama sessions to encourage blood donation

14 months

WhatsApp: Continuous engagement; Docudrama: 3 group meetings

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for repeat blood donation attempts and secondary outcomes

14 months

Evaluations at 7 and 14 months

Treatment Details

Interventions

• docudrama
• WhatsApp

Trial Overview The study tests if using WhatsApp groups or watching a docudrama can encourage first-time blood donors in Ghana to keep donating. It compares these methods against the usual communication from blood services over 14 months.

Participant Groups

Group I: docudrama Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants randomized to this arm will meet three times (Month 2; Month 5 and Month 10), in a group setting, during the intervention. Each group will have a maximum of 20-40 participants. This is a stand-alone activity, which is not associated with a donation event. During each meeting, participants will be asked to watch, in the group setting, an episode of drama, lasting 15 minutes. The docudrama on blood donation will address participant's concerns regarding blood donation and address common donor fears.

Group II: WhatsApp Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants assigned to the WhatsApp arm will receive messages, audios, images and videos in a moderated, closed WhatsApp group over a 14-month duration. The messages aim to motivate blood donation, encourage participants to discuss their blood donation experiences, and allow them to share their motivations for donating blood.

Group III: control Active Control 1 Intervention

standard of care for repeat blood donation

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Minnesota

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,459

Recruited

1,623,000+

National Blood Service Ghana

Collaborator

Trials

4

Recruited

1,800+

University of Ghana

Collaborator

Trials

48

Recruited

119,000+

National Blood Service Ghana

Collaborator

Trials

4

Recruited

1,800+

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

Collaborator

Trials

96

Recruited

804,000+

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Collaborator

Trials

3,987

Recruited

47,860,000+

University of Ghana, College of Health Sciences

Collaborator

Trials

2

Recruited

1,000+

Syracuse University

Collaborator

Trials

54

Recruited

118,000+

University of Minnesota, Coordinating Centers for Biometric Research

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

880+

Findings from Research

A study of 169 free blood donation apps revealed that most are designed for Android and primarily help users find donors, but many lack essential features like notifications for donation events and recommendations.

About half of the apps do not require authentication, and only a few are multilingual, indicating a need for improved functionality to better engage and inform potential blood donors.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Free blood donation mobile applications. Ouhbi, S., Fernández-Alemán, JL., Toval, A., et al.[2021]

Sending a personalized postdonation SMS to 2605 blood donors significantly increased the likelihood of their return to donate within 12 months, with a return rate of 70.3% compared to 62.6% for those who did not receive the SMS.

The SMS intervention was particularly effective for first-time and novice donors, suggesting it could be a cost-effective strategy to improve donor retention, although it did not impact experienced donors.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evaluation of the impact of a personalized postdonation short messaging service on the retention of whole blood donors. Gemelli, CN., Carver, A., Garn, A., et al.[2018]

A study involving 673 young adults showed that a specially designed Web site addressing common blood donation concerns significantly improved donation attitudes, confidence, and intentions among nondonors compared to standard and control sites.

For previous donors, the same Web site also enhanced confidence and reduced anticipated regret, suggesting that targeted online education can effectively encourage blood donation behaviors.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Web-based approach to blood donor preparation. France, CR., France, JL., Kowalsky, JM., et al.[2018]

A survey of 982 blood donors revealed that 67.7% are likely to use a mobile app for managing blood donations, indicating strong interest in leveraging technology for donor recruitment and retention.

Key features desired in the app include 24/7 appointment requests (76.8%) and quick appointment confirmations (81.3%), although concerns about excessive notifications (64.1%) and personal information security (53.5%) were also noted.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Blood donation mobile applications: are donors ready? Yuan, S., Chang, S., Uyeno, K., et al.[2016]

A randomized controlled trial with 2540 first-time blood donors showed that sending a text message after their blood was used significantly increased the retention rate for future donations, with a 31% higher return rate in the text group compared to the control group.

The study found that the median time for donors to return was similar between groups, indicating that the text messaging intervention effectively encouraged donors to come back without altering the timing of their next donation.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effects of text messaging for promoting the retention of the first-time blood donors, a randomized controlled study (TEXT study). Pongsananurak, C., Norasetthada, L., Tantiworawit, A., et al.[2021]

Telephone calls were more effective in prompting inactive blood donors to return compared to SMS reminders, but they were also more costly, indicating a trade-off between effectiveness and cost.

SMS reminders with an altruistic appeal encouraged donors to return sooner than those who received no reminders, making them a more cost-effective option for re-recruiting inactive donors.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effective methods for reactivating inactive blood donors: a stratified randomised controlled study. Ou-Yang, J., Bei, CH., Liang, HQ., et al.[2020]

An interactive conversational agent was developed using the Dialogflow framework to educate users about blood donation, successfully addressing 30 common questions and concerns.

User experience was highly satisfactory among 50 participants, indicating that this technology can effectively engage and inform the public about blood donation, potentially improving donor recruitment.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

"Hey assistant, how can I become a donor?" The case of a conversational agent designed to engage people in blood donation. Roman, MK., Bellei, EA., Biduski, D., et al.[2021]

The 'Blood Hero' application uses gamification to encourage blood donation by rewarding users for their social acts related to donating blood, addressing the global demand for blood supply.

Currently being tested, the app facilitates interaction between users and blood centers, aiming to evaluate its acceptance and impact on blood stocks.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Blood hero: An application for encouraging the blood donation by applying gamification. Domingos, DC., Lima, LF., Messias, TF., et al.[2020]

A study involving 548 blood donors in Brazil found that using WhatsApp messages to encourage return visits did not significantly increase the return rates of blood donors compared to a control group.

Loyal donors were more likely to return regardless of receiving messages, indicating that motivations for blood donation may differ from those for other health interventions, suggesting a need for tailored strategies based on donor experience.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Is WhatsApp Effective at Increasing the Return Rate of Blood Donors? Rodrigues Lucena, TF., Queiroz Negri, L., Marcon, D., et al.[2021]

References

1. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Free blood donation mobile applications. [2021]

2. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evaluation of the impact of a personalized postdonation short messaging service on the retention of whole blood donors. [2018]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Web-based approach to blood donor preparation. [2018]

4. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Blood donation mobile applications: are donors ready? [2016]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effects of text messaging for promoting the retention of the first-time blood donors, a randomized controlled study (TEXT study). [2021]

6. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effective methods for reactivating inactive blood donors: a stratified randomised controlled study. [2020]

7. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

"Hey assistant, how can I become a donor?" The case of a conversational agent designed to engage people in blood donation. [2021]

8. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Blood hero: An application for encouraging the blood donation by applying gamification. [2020]

9. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Is WhatsApp Effective at Increasing the Return Rate of Blood Donors? [2021]