A motivational interview promotes retention of blood donors with high internal motivation

Abstract

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.

An automated motivational interview promotes donation intention and self‐efficacy among experienced whole blood donors

“…The 18‐item scale assesses six motivational factors (with three items per scale), including amotivation, external regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation, integrated regulation, and intrinsic regulation. Scores were calculated for three types of motivation: amotivation, external motivation (external regulation + introjected regulation), and internal motivation (identified regulation + integrated regulation + intrinsic regulation) …”

“…Results indicated that, relative to controls, donors who received the motivational interview had greater increases in internal motivation for giving. Further, those who began with high baseline levels of internal motivation were significantly more likely to make another donation attempt in the next year if they completed the motivational interview . Although these studies offer promising evidence for the ability of motivational interviewing to enhance blood donor retention, a potential impediment to the widespread application of this approach is the cost of training and employing interviewers.…”

“…One such approach is through self‐determination theory, which posits that individuals are more likely to continue behaviors that are internally motivated rather than externally motivated. Recent studies have attempted to test this notion among blood donors using a motivational interview that was specifically designed to build upon existing intrinsic motivations for giving blood . In the first such study, when experienced donors who completed a motivational phone interview were compared to similar donors who did not receive an interview, those who completed the phone interview reported higher intentions of donating and indeed had higher rates of attempted donation over the next 12 months .…”

“…In the first such study, when experienced donors who completed a motivational phone interview were compared to similar donors who did not receive an interview, those who completed the phone interview reported higher intentions of donating and indeed had higher rates of attempted donation over the next 12 months . In a more rigorous follow‐up study, France and colleagues compared the effects of the motivational phone interview against an active control call among novice blood donors. Results indicated that, relative to controls, donors who received the motivational interview had greater increases in internal motivation for giving.…”

Online responses to motivational interview questions enhance blood donation intention

“…In a subsequent study of first‐time donors, participation in the interview promoted larger decreases in donation‐related anxiety, larger increases in donation confidence and intention, and a shift toward more self‐determined (i.e., internal) motivation to donate . Further, donors with high internal motivation who completed the interview showed higher repeat donation rates in the following year …”