eHealth technologies for enhancing blood donor knowledge and behaviour: A PRISMA scoping review

Blood donor information and education are pivotal in improving knowledge and encouraging positive behaviours towards blood donation. Their impact of utilizing eHealth technologies on self-efficacy presents new opportunities to improve knowledge and encourage people to donate blood.

A scoping review was conducted to understand the nature of the scientific evidence on improving knowledge and influencing the behaviours of blood donors with eHealth technologies.

Through a systematic literature search, 6261 published papers were screened, and 20 were reviewed.

eHealth technologies commonly utilized were audio/telephone calls, text messages, emails, audio-visuals, mobile health and smartphone applications, custommade software applications and social media. They were mainly used to disseminate educational and motivational information, send reminders, and enhance the blood donation experience. They significantly impacted the knowledge and behaviours of blood donors, including increased blood donation rates and repeat blood donations, and enhanced blood donor awareness, motivation and behaviours. Facilitators for their effective utilization included personalisation, organisational support, user-centred design and interactivity, clarity and privacy, automation, and cultural acceptance. Barriers included technical, communication, usability, poor access, low awareness and operational limitations.

eHealth technologies could be integrated into traditional blood donor programs even though they are not a panacea for all blood donor recruitment challenges. Targeted research is needed to understand their long-term effectiveness and applicability. Future research should address gaps identified, particularly focusing on the impact of contextual differences and health literacy. Such research will promote the development of more effective and inclusive blood donor engagement programs and technologies.