How to increase first-time donors' returns? The postdonation letter's content can make a difference

Area of Science:

• Health Sciences
• Social Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• First-time donor retention is crucial for blood collection centers.
• Previous research highlights the importance of donor identity for regular donors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of different communication strategies in improving first-time whole blood donor return rates.
• To investigate how enhancing donor identity influences donor retention.

Main Methods:

• A large sample of first-time whole blood donors (N=1219) received one of five postal letter versions.
• Letters varied in identity-boosting elements: ABO/Rh(D) group info, identity salience, personalized keyring, or population-based blood type percentage.
• A control group received a letter with no identity-related information. Donor return was tracked for 5-22 months.

Main Results:

• Survival analysis revealed a significantly higher return rate for donors who received information about the percentage of the population sharing their ABO and Rh(D) blood group.
• No significant effect was observed regarding blood type rarity communication.

Conclusions:

• Blood collection centers can improve donor retention by tailoring communication strategies for first-time donors.
• Fostering social identification through shared blood type information appears to be a promising approach for enhancing donor loyalty.