Expanding our Donor Base

Expanding our Donor Base

Aims

  • Expanding our donor base, whilst ensuring donor welfare and patient safety
  • Maximising our ability to 'best' match donated blood with transfusion recipients

Key Findings

  • Breaking Down Barriers - Recruiting donors of African Ancestory in Ireland. Key findings from focus groups:

    • The provision of blood donation information, and engagement with the African communities, was a crucial and consistent finding, as focus groups determined that a lack of basic information was as key barrier.
    • Building trust with the blood service is essential, and participants pointed to the value of a mobile clinic that visited African communities
    • Specific information on Sickle Cell Disease, and the difficulties with providing appropriately match blood, created a desire to help their fellow Africans.
  • African respondents were significantly more likely to report lack of information and malaria-related barriers than Caucasian and more likely to donate to help someone within their own community. An awareness of sickle-cell disease was higher among African respondents.

On-going Research 

  • Greater understanding of the ethnic and genetic diversity within the Irish door population
Sign up to Our Newsletter

Sign up to Our Newsletter

loading form...