Technology in our blood : user preferred features for a mobile donation App

Abstract: Blood donation numbers in South Africa remain critically low. The need for blood during times of higher demand places recipients in imminent danger of not receiving the transfusion they require, due to a lack of bloodstock. Considering the popularity of mobile applications (apps), merit exists around the notion that a tailored app could potentially meet some of the needs faced by existing and potential blood donors in South Africa, hindering them from donating blood regularly. The objective of this paper is to set forth those features that potential and existing blood donors in South Africa would prefer in a mobile blood donation app. The aim is to illustrate the preferences of donors in terms of a blood donation app, that could potentially act as a catalyst to ultimately increase blood donations. This research forms part of a larger project and reports on the final phase of an exploratory sequential mixed methods research design. The research reported here is based on a quantitative online questionnaire, completed by 2154 South Africans during late 2018. The results show that existing and potential blood donors prefer app features that would lighten the administrative burden of donating blood, such as receiving reminders and being able to find a blood donation event using by GPS. Furthermore, these users consider the reward aspect associated with an app as important, for example sharing donations on Social Media for recognition or receiving rewards for participating in blood donation initiatives based on predetermined goals. The research could prove valuable to blood donation organisations in South Africa who want to harness the potential benefits of mobile app technologies to create a real-world difference to a social issue