Evaluation of the return rate of volunteer blood donors

• Autor(a) principal: Lourençon,Adriana de Fátima
• Data de Publicação: 2011
• Outros Autores: Almeida,Rodrigo Guimarães dos Santos, Ferreira,Oranice, Martinez,Edson Zangiacomi
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Revista brasileira de hematologia e hemoterapia (Online)
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-84842011000300010
• topic: Blood donors/psychology; Attitude to health; Altruism; Hemotherapy service; Motivation; Blood banks

BACKGROUND: To convert first-time blood donors into regular volunteer donors is a challenge to transfusion services. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to estimate the return rate of first time donors of the Ribeirão Preto Blood Center and of other blood centers in its coverage region. METHODS: The histories of 115,553 volunteer donors between 1996 and 2005 were analyzed. Statistical analysis was based on a parametric long-term survival model that allows an estimation of the proportion of donors who never return for further donations. RESULTS: Only 40% of individuals return within one year after the first donation and 53% return within two years. It is estimated that 30% never return to donate. Higher return rates were observed among Black donors. No significant difference was found in non-return rates regarding gender, blood type, Rh blood group and blood collection unit. CONCLUSIONS: The low percentage of first-time donors who return for further blood donation reinforces the need for marketing actions and strategies aimed at increasing the return rates.