Background In contrast to standard donor retention strategies (e.g., mailings, phone calls, text messages), we developed a brief telephone interview, based on motivational interviewing principles, which encourages blood donors to reflect upon their unique motivators and barriers for giving. The present study examined the effect of this motivational interview, combined with action and coping plan components, on blood donor motivations. Study Design and Methods The design was to randomly assign blood donors to receive either a telephone-delivered motivational interview with action and coping plan components or a control call approximately six weeks after their most recent donation. Participants completed a series of surveys related to donation motivation approximately 3 weeks before telephone contact (pre-call baseline) and then repeated these surveys approximately one week after telephone contact (post-call). Results The sample was 63% female, included a majority (52.6%) first-time blood donors, and had a mean age of 30.0 years (SD = 11.7). A series of ANOVAs revealed that, relative to controls (n=244), donors in the motivational interview group (n=254) had significantly larger increases in motivational autonomy (p=0.001), affective attitude (p=0.004), self-efficacy (p=0.03), anticipated regret (p=0.001), and intention (p=<0.001), as well as larger decreases in donation anxiety (p=0.01), from pre-call baseline to post-call assessment. Conclusion This study supports motivational interviewing with action and coping planning as a novel strategy to promote key contributors to donor motivation.

The Blood Donor Competency, Autonomy, and Relatedness Enhancement (Blood Donor CARE) project was designed as a practical application of self-determination theory to encourage retention of first-time donors. Self-determination theory proposes that people are more likely to persist with behaviors that are internally-motivated, and that externally-motivated behavior can evolve and become internalized given the appropriate socio-environmental conditions. According to self-determination theory, motivation to engage in blood donation may become increasingly self-determined if the behavior satisfies fundamental human needs for competence (a sense of self-efficacy to achieve specific goals), autonomy (a sense of volitional control over one’s behavior), and relatedness (a sense of connection to a larger group). The primary aim of this randomized controlled trial is to examine the effect of competence, autonomy, and/or relatedness interventions on donor retention. Using a full factorial design, first-time donors will be assigned to a control condition or one of seven intervention conditions. Donation competence, autonomy, and relatedness, along with additional constructs associated with return donation, will be assessed before and after the intervention using online surveys, and donation attempts will be tracked for one-year using blood center donor databases. We hypothesize that, compared to the control condition, the interventions will increase the likelihood of a subsequent donation attempt. We will also examine intervention-specific increases in competence, autonomy, and relatedness as potential mediators of enhanced donor retention. By promoting first-time donor competence, autonomy, and relatedness our goal is to enhance internal motivation for giving and in so doing increase the likelihood of future donation.

This pilot study demonstrates that apheresis donors are relatively iron deficient compared to controls and supports the premise that frequent apheresis donation correlates with relatively iron restricted erythropoiesis. An analysis of iron- and erythropoiesis-related parameters in a broader population of frequent apheresis donors (i.e., female and non-white donors) may demonstrate larger deficits and an even greater potential benefit of iron replacement. J. Clin. Apheresis 31:551-558, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Background Based on the hypothesis that self-determined motivation is associated with an increased likelihood of future behavior, the present study examined the ability of a motivational interview to promote internal motivation for giving and future donation attempts. Study Design and Methods A sample of 484 recent whole blood and double red cell donors (62.4% female; mean age = 30.2, SD = 11.8 years) were randomly assigned to either a telephone-delivered motivational interview or a control call approximately six weeks after donating. Several weeks before the call and again one week after the call participants completed the Blood Donor Identity Survey, a multidimensional measure of donor motivation, to derive indices of amotivation, external motivation, and internal motivation to give blood. Repeat donation attempts were tracked using blood center records. Results Relative to controls, participants in the motivational interview group showed a shift toward more self-determined motivation as indicated by significant decreases in amotivation (p=0.01) and significant increases in external (p=0.009) and internal motivation (p=0.002). Further, those with initially high levels of autonomous motivation were more likely to make a donation attempt in the subsequent year if they completed the motivational interview (71.1%) versus the control call (55.1%). Conclusion Motivational interviewing is a potentially useful strategy to enhance retention of existing blood donors, particularly among those who express a greater sense of internal motivation for giving.

BACKGROUND Interventions intended to motivate donors to return can be costly and time consuming. The current study examined the effect of a Web‐based automated interview, informed by motivational interviewing and self‐determination theory, on donor intention, motivation, and behavior in a sample of highly experienced donors. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Approximately 1 week after donating, 1177 highly experienced whole blood donors (mean prior donations, 35.5; mean age, 46.9 years; 66.3% female) participated in a study in which they were randomly assigned to either a donor motivational interview (n = 544) or knowledge interview (n = 633). Measures of donor motivation and psychological need support were obtained before the interviews, and again at postinterview assessments conducted approximately 2 days later and 7 weeks later. Blood center records were used to assess repeat donation attempts for 1 year after the interviews. RESULTS Relative to the knowledge interview, participants in the motivational interview had larger increases in donation intention and self‐efficacy from preinterview to the first follow‐up. Among women only, the motivational interview was associated with greater competence and relatedness increases at both follow‐up assessments. CONCLUSION An automated motivational interview appears to be a feasible way to promote donation intention and self‐efficacy. Although the observed effects were small among highly experienced donors, we are currently assessing the potential effect of this intervention among less experienced donors.