A Stepwise Telemedicine Follow-Up System for Blood Donors in a University Blood Bank: Prospective Implementation...

Area of Science:

• Blood banking and transfusion medicine
• Public health and epidemiology
• Health informatics and telemedicine

Background:

• Conventional mail-based follow-up for blood donors lacks delivery confirmation and two-way communication, creating donor safety gaps.
• Current methods fail to ensure accountability in postdonation follow-up for abnormal results.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate a stepwise telemedicine system for comprehensive blood donor follow-up.
• To assess system coverage, case completion time, and donor satisfaction with the new protocol.
• To address follow-up needs for abnormal lab results, low hemoglobin, and adverse donation reactions.

Main Methods:

• A prospective implementation study utilized a stepwise protocol: messaging service (LINE), authenticated consultation platform (Dietz), telephone, and mail.
• 168 blood donors requiring postdonation follow-up were enrolled.
• Donor satisfaction was measured using a validated 15-item questionnaire; case completion time was logged.

Main Results:

• The telemedicine protocol achieved 96.4% confirmed contact rate.
• Median case completion time was 1.90 hours, with high overall donor satisfaction (4.44/5).
• 86.9% of donors were enrolled via telemedicine, indicating high digital engagement.

Conclusions:

• The stepwise telemedicine protocol is effective, demonstrating high coverage, rapid completion, and donor satisfaction.
• A small digital divide necessitates hybrid follow-up strategies for complete donor reach.
• Broader implementation in blood banking services is recommended to enhance donor safety and care.