Background/Case Studies: We are constantly reviewing processes to improve the blood donor experience. The donation workflow was implemented since January 2019 across all collection sites including mobile blood donation drives. Blood donors must go through the stations in a sequential order as follows: 1) Pre-registration - Donor Health Assessment Questionnaire & Declaration (DHAQ) form-filling 2) Registration 3) Hemoglobin (Hb) testing, with weight-taking 4) Medical Interview 5) Blood Donation & 6) Post donation care/refreshment.
To further improve and enhance donor’s donation experience and increase staff efficiency, we proposed to combine blood donor registration and hemoglobin testing as one station. While the proposed process will bring about potential positive benefits for both blood donors and staff, such as convenience, improved efficiency, and cost- effectiveness through the streamlined process, we aim to find out the responses from our blood donors first before full implementation.
Study
Design/Methods: The proposed process of combining registration and Hb testing with weight-taking, was piloted at a fixed blood donation centre. A survey was conducted on 200 repeat blood donors from 16 to 28 February 2023. Upon completion of the blood donation process, donors were invited to participate in an online survey about their experience of the streamlined process.
Results/Findings: The survey yielded positive replies from the donors. Out of the 200 responses, 88% (N=176) prefer the new set-up, while 91 % (N= 181) are satisfied with the new process. 96% (N=192) of the donors felt that the combined station enhances the overall donation workflow. 91% (N=182) experienced time-savings and 85% (N=170) felt that the new set-up is better than the previous workflow. An overwhelming majority (97%, N=194) would like the new set-up to be a permanent change. Conclusions: Based on the positive donor feedback gathered through the survey, majority of donors appreciate the Bloodbank efforts to improve the blood donor experience. We will carry out work enhancement to the physical layout, and reconfigure the workstations at all Bloodbanks, in order to bring such benefits to both blood donors and the staff as part of continuous improvement.
Importance of research: With the aim to constantly improve the blood donor's experience, we proposed to combine Blood Donor Registration and Haemoglobin Testing as one station. A survey was conducted to gauge on donors’ response at a fixed blood donation centre before full implementation.
As we are always reviewing our processes, this initiative is part of continuous improvement which can benefit both blood donors and the organisation.
