Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 19, 2026
Study of Experimental Organ Donation Models for Lung Transplantation
Published on: March 15, 2024
A systematic review of incentives in blood donation
Kathleen Chell1, Tanya E Davison2, Barbara Masser1,3
1Research and Development, Australian Red Cross Blood Service, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia.
Insights
The effectiveness of incentives for blood donation remains unclear. Research suggests certain nonmonetary incentives may aid voluntary nonremunerated (VNR) donation, but more studies are needed.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Incentives are frequently employed to boost blood donor recruitment and retention.
- The actual impact of incentives on attracting and retaining blood donors is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review empirical evidence on monetary and nonmonetary incentives in blood donation.
- To define and operationalize incentives, assess attitudes towards them, and evaluate their impact on donation behavior and blood safety.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature review following PRISMA guidelines.
- Inclusion of 71 papers examining incentives in blood donation, covering definitions, attitudes, behavior, and safety.
Main Results:
- Research on blood donation incentives is limited and often focuses on whole blood donors within specific contexts.
- No single incentive garners universal positive reception or demonstrates a clear positive impact on behavior without affecting blood safety.
- Discounts, tickets, gifts, and paid time off show the most promise for voluntary nonremunerated (VNR) donation systems.
Conclusions:
- Existing literature on incentives for blood donation, especially for apheresis donors, is sparse and shows inconsistencies.
- Further research is crucial to understand the effects of introducing or removing incentives in VNR blood donor recruitment and retention efforts.
Background:
Incentives are often used to enhance the effectiveness of recruitment and retention campaigns targeting blood donors. However, the degree to which incentives succeed in attracting and facilitating repeat donation is unclear. A systematic literature review, following PRISMA guidelines, investigated the existing empirical evidence regarding the use of monetary and nonmonetary incentives within blood donation.
Study Design And Methods:
A comprehensive search of relevant databases identified a total of 71 papers for inclusion in the review for defining and operationalizing incentives (Objective 1), of which nine papers empirically investigated attitudes toward incentives (Objective 2), 31 papers investigated the impact on blood donation behavior (Objective 3), and eight papers investigated the impact on blood safety (Objective 4).
Results:
Overall, research into the use of incentives in blood donation is limited, characterized by comparatively few studies, predominantly focused on whole blood donors, that are confounded by current operating context (paid or voluntary). No incentive has been identified that all segments of the nondonor and donor panel report positive attitudes toward, that has a positive impact on behavior, and that has no negative impact on blood safety. Certain incentives (i.e., discounts, tickets, gifts, and paid time off work) have the strongest evidence base for potential inclusion within voluntary nonremunerated (VNR) donation systems.
Conclusion:
Due to the limited nature of the existing literature (particularly for apheresis donors) and inconsistencies observed within the results, additional research investigating the likely impact of introducing (or removing) monetary or nonmonetary incentives in VNR donor recruitment or retention is essential.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Blood Transfusion
Blood Transfusion Overview
A blood transfusion is a medical procedure used to replace blood lost due to injury, surgery, or to treat conditions such as anemia or cancer. During a transfusion, donor blood is...
01:28Kidney Transplant I: Introduction
02:45Blood Transfusion and Agglutination
History
The history of blood transfusion dates back to the 17th century, when early attempts were made in animals. In 1818 James Blundell, a British doctor, performed the first successful human blood transfusion. Later in 1900, Karl...
02:20Blood Types
ABO blood group
ABO antigens are glycoproteins encoded by genes present on...
01:12The ABO Blood Group
Antigens in the ABO Blood Group System
Antigens are substances that can trigger an immune response, leading to the production of antibodies. In the ABO blood group system,...