Multi-disciplinary evaluation of blood donation practices and knowledge among medical graduates

Medical graduates serve as forefront of healthcare workforce, and their knowledge and practices regarding voluntary blood donation (VBD) can significantly influence the future approach to blood donation and transfusion in the general population. This cross-sectional survey aims to evaluate the awareness and attitudes regarding VBD in the medical graduates and residents across multiple healthcare disciplines (allopathy, ayurveda and homeopathy). It also aims to evaluate the sociodemographic factors that may secondarily influence VBD in this subpopulation.

This cross-sectional survey was conducted over a 6-month period across 2 allopathic (government and municipal), 1 homeopathic and 1 ayurvedic hospitals and included medical interns and residents at these institutions. Data was collected electronically using Google Forms™ and results were analyzed using SPSS version 25 (IBM, New York, USA).

Data collected from 416 medical graduates (48.8 % allopathy, 31.3 % homeopathy, 20 % ayurveda), revealed that while 98.8 % recognized blood donation as essential, only 39.2 % donated regularly. Key barriers included perceived unfitness (30 %) and fear of needles (4.8 %). Awareness gaps were evident, with only 47.4 % receiving formal training and 57.5 % unaware of rare donor registries. Gender differences showed males donated more frequently (65.6 % vs. 40.5 %, p < 0.0005).

Medical graduates across all healthcare disciplines face gaps in knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding VBD, driven by misconceptions and limited training. Targeted education and institutional support are vital to enable them as advocates and active participants in sustaining blood donation efforts within the general population.