882 Participants Needed

Communication Methods for Blood Donation Retention

(C-CAD Trial)

SE
Overseen BySusan E Telke, MS
Age: 18+
Sex: Any
Trial Phase: Academic
Sponsor: University of Minnesota
No Placebo GroupAll trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

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.12345

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.24567

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.12489

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.
See 4 more

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
3Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: docudramaExperimental Treatment1 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: WhatsAppExperimental Treatment1 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: controlActive Control1 Intervention
standard of care for repeat blood donation

Find a Clinic Near You

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

References

Free blood donation mobile applications. [2021]
Evaluation of the impact of a personalized postdonation short messaging service on the retention of whole blood donors. [2018]
A Web-based approach to blood donor preparation. [2018]
Blood donation mobile applications: are donors ready? [2016]
The effects of text messaging for promoting the retention of the first-time blood donors, a randomized controlled study (TEXT study). [2021]
Effective methods for reactivating inactive blood donors: a stratified randomised controlled study. [2020]
"Hey assistant, how can I become a donor?" The case of a conversational agent designed to engage people in blood donation. [2021]
Blood hero: An application for encouraging the blood donation by applying gamification. [2020]
Is WhatsApp Effective at Increasing the Return Rate of Blood Donors? [2021]
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