This Science for Policy report contributes to the policy debate on the importance of securing enough blood and blood products to maintain a functional healthcare system. It outlines recent progressions in the field of blood donation, offering new perspectives on factors associated with blood donor motivations, intentions and behaviour. It also summarises the findings from research following social science and behavioural science research agendas in the field of blood donation, including theoretical models and evidence on motivation that leads to blood donor intentions and behaviour. In addition, it encompasses studies testing the effects of behavioural interventions to increase blood donations, such as reminders, active decision elicitation mechanisms (methods or techniques used to actively prompt or solicit a decision from someone) and public pledges to donate blood. Finally, it describes and reports on the current practices used in blood services across the EU-27.
Authors
Joint Research Centre, European Commission, Vuletić Čugalj, Danijela, Ferguson, Eamonn, Baggio, Marianna, Bruns, Hendrik
- Catalogue number
- KJ-NA-31-959-EN-N
- Citation
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Vuletić Čugalj, D., Ferguson, E., Baggio, M. et al., Blood donation in the EU – Exploring behavioural insights for innovative interventions – A literature review and an overview of the blood donation landscape in the EU , Publications Office of the European Union, 2024, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/335203
- DOI
- https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/335203
- ISBN
- 978-92-68-17379-4
- ISSN
- 1831-9424
- Pages
- 91
- Published in
- Belgium
- Themes
- Consumers' health , Health policy
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction 12
- 2. Methodology 14
- 2.1. Identification of studies to be included in the literature review 14
- 2.2. Data collection for the EU-27 blood donation overview 18
- 3. Typology of blood donors based on the frequency and proximity of last donation 19
- 4. Social science research agendas 21
- 4.1. Theory of planned behaviour 21
- 4.2. Stage models 22
- 4.3. Self-determination theory 22
- 4.4. Empirical evidence on motivation that leads to intention to donate blood and to actual blood donation behaviour 22
- 5. Behavioural science research agendas 25
- 5.1. Interventions testing the effectiveness of non-incentives 26
- 5.1.1. Reminders to retain and recruit donors 26
- 5.1.2. Active decision elicitation mechanisms 27
- 5.1.3. Private and public pledges to donate blood 28
- 5.1.4. Informing donors once their blood is used 28
- 5.1.5. Informing deferred donors about deferral policies 29
- 5.2. Interventions testing the effectiveness of non-monetary incentives 30
- 5.2.1. Paid days off work 30
- 5.2.2. Health checks 30
- 5.3. Interventions testing the effectiveness of monetary incentives 30
- 5.3.1. Vouchers and gift cards 30
- 5.3.2. Cash payments 31
- 5.4. Mixed interventions 31
- 5.5. Other behavioural interventions 33
- 6. Ethical considerations in behavioural interventions to promote blood donation 34
- 7. EU-27 blood donation overview 36
- 7.1. Austria 37
- 7.2. Belgium 38
- 7.3. Bulgaria 39
- 7.4. Croatia 40
- 7.5. Cyprus 41
- 7.6. Czechia 42
- 7.7. Denmark 43
- 7.8. Estonia 44
- 7.9. Finland 45
- 7.10. France 46
- 7.11. Germany 47
- 7.12. Greece 48
- 7.13. Hungary 49
- 7.14. Ireland 50
- 7.15. Italy 51
- 7.16. Latvia 52
- 7.17. Lithuania 53
- 7.18. Luxembourg 54
- 7.19. Malta 55
- 7.20. Netherlands 56
- 7.21. Poland 57
- 7.22. Portugal 58
- 7.23. Romania 59
- 7.24. Slovakia 60
- 7.25. Slovenia 61
- 7.26. Spain 62
- 7.27. Sweden 63
- 7.28. Summary of the EU-27 blood donation landscape findings 64
- 8. Conclusions 72
- 8.1. Final thoughts and future direction 74
- 8.1.1. Early-stage trials 74
- 8.1.2. Considering heterogeneity and ethnicity 74
- 8.1.3. Emotions, transitions and cognitions 74
- 8.1.4. Exploring mechanisms 75
- 8.1.5. Caveats 75
- 8.2. Policy implications 75
- Bibliography 77
- Abbreviations 87
- List of figures 88
- List of tables 89
- COVERS blood_BACK.pdf 91
