Effect of a Web Page Based on a Motivational Video for Voluntary Blood Donation

Overview

Voluntary blood donation is currently a key issue in many countries, as the shortage of voluntary donors results in a deficit in the supplies of the Blood Banks of the hospitals. One factor for which there is a low number of voluntary donors is the limited dissemination of information that is given to the population regarding the facilities and benefits of blood donation. Objective: To evaluate the effect of a web page containing a motivational video and an informative text to promote the voluntary donation of blood disseminated through the use of social networks such as Facebook and WhatsApp. Design and Participants: Online randomized controlled trial for a group of 102 university students. Intervention: One group exposed to the intervention with video and the other control group exposed to informative text.

PROBLEM STATEMENT The shortage of voluntary blood donors is a constant worldwide problem, since many lives depend on a transfusion every day to carry out medical or surgical treatment, however, the demand is so high that it exceeds the available number of units of blood. That is why the WHO recommends that at least 2% of the total population donate blood to supply the national demand for blood units. It is known that Peru needs around 520,000 units of blood per year to be able to supply the national demand of blood banks (19). In 2017, only 1.08% of the Peruvian population donated blood. The shortage of blood supply in the blood banks of hospitals is a problem worldwide. The demand for blood has increased in recent decades. This is because blood and its derivatives are used to attend to procedures that support the patient's well-being. It is due to this high demand that all the countries of the world have found themselves in need of generating national laws and systems that help to boost research and voluntary blood donation. When developing strategies for the promotion of the voluntrary blood donation, it is necessary to know the perceptions that donors have regarding the donation. A study conducted in a hospital in Lima showed the positive and negative aspects regarding blood donation, which resulted in one of the negative aspects is the limited publicity that is given regarding the blood donation. The donors interviewed suggested that advertising could be done through the internet, spreading the information through emails or through the use of Facebook. HYPOTHESIS It is proposed that there is a significant difference in the increase in the intention to donate blood voluntarily after exposing the participants to a motivational video about blood donation compared to participants exposed to an informative text about blood donation. Both groups will receive the information (video or text) through a web page.