- Mixed reality experience allows blood donors to visit a digital
world while remaining fully aware of their surroundings for a safe,
relaxing donation
- 68.4% of pilot study participants who reported pre-donation
anxiety said the mixed reality experience helped ease feelings of
anxiety
- 89.2% of donors who tried mixed reality said they were likely
to donate blood again
- Innovation is designed to attract new donors and motivate a
younger generation to give blood
ABBOTT
PARK, Ill., Feb. 1, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- A new study published online and
available in the February print edition of the journal
Transfusion shows the mixed reality technology for use
during blood donation created by Abbott (NYSE: ABT) and Blood
Centers of America (BCA) helps ease donors' feelings of anxiety and
boosts the likelihood they will return to give blood again.
Results from the pilot study reveal that mixed reality "is an
innovative technology that holds promise to increase donor
engagement, satisfaction, and retention," researchers said.
Abbott, the global leader in screening blood and plasma,
partnered with Blood Centers of America, the largest blood supplier
network in the U.S., to launch a mixed reality experience for blood
donors in June 2023. It is now
available at several donation sites across the country, including
in New York, Houston and the Chicago area. More blood donation sites will
offer the experience soon.
The Abbott and BCA mixed reality innovation is an immersive
digital experience designed to improve the blood donation process,
attract new donors and motivate a younger generation to give blood.
Donors wear lightweight mixed reality headsets to visit a digital
world while remaining fully aware of their real-world surroundings.
The effort aims to address the global challenge of sustaining a
reliable blood supply.
The pilot study examined the experiences of 282 blood donors who
tried mixed reality at 54 collection sites in Houston and the Quad Cities area in
Iowa and Illinois.
Of the 142 donors who reported pre-donation anxiety, 68.4% said
the use of mixed reality during donation decreased their reported
anxiety. The top reported causes of pre-donation anxiety were fear
that donation would hurt, fear of feeling badly after donating,
fear of needles, fear of fainting and fear of the unknown.
For donors who tried mixed reality while donating, 89.2% said
they wanted to come back to donate again.
"We found that using mixed reality while donating blood helps
many donors relax and decreases stress," said Theodore Kieffer, MD, U.S. area medical director
for Abbott's transfusion business and a co-author of the study.
"It's encouraging to see this innovation improve the blood
donation experience and potentially inspire a younger generation to
become donors."
The mixed reality experience allows blood donation professionals
to safely conduct the donation and interact with donors at every
step of the process. Because the mixed reality glasses are
transparent, donors' eyes are always visible during donation to
ensure constant monitoring and evaluation.
The mixed reality experience was designed based on research that
natural settings are the most preferred environment as donors give
blood. Participants visit a whimsical virtual garden while
listening to soothing music, moving a cursor with their eye
movement and planting seeds that grow into colorful trees and
flowers.
The innovation was designed to help boost the sustainability of
the nation's blood supply and attract younger people since blood
centers have lost about 30% of donors under the age of 30 over the
last decade. On average, only 3% of the eligible U.S. population
donates blood each year.
In the pilot study, 54% of donors with baseline reported anxiety
said they would use mixed reality again, with the highest future
interest in young donors.
"The adoption of mixed reality in blood donation is a
significant innovation, particularly for attracting new donors. By
making the donation process more engaging and less intimidating,
this innovation can play a crucial role in increasing the blood
supply," said Jennifer Kapral,
senior vice president at Blood Centers of America and a co-author
of the study. "Mixed reality helps modernize the donation
experience and also potentially increases the frequency and number
of younger donors. It can really make a difference to get more
people interested in donating and making it more fun when they
do."
Mixed reality is part of Abbott and BCA's broader, ongoing
effort to energize younger people to donate blood, motivate
first-time donors and cultivate a new generation to help sustain
the nation's blood supply. In 2023, the combination of those
efforts helped increase donations 11% among 16-24 year olds.
The pilot study was conducted at sites operated by Impact Life
of Davenport, Iowa, and Gulf Coast
Regional Blood Center in Houston
during February and March 2023.
Researchers affiliated with Stanford
University and Stanford Blood Center, Johns Hopkins University and the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine,
Abbott, Blood Centers of America, Impact Life and Gulf Coast
Regional Blood Center conducted and authored the study.
To find out more about donation locations offering mixed reality
visit bethe1donor.com/mixedreality.
About Abbott:
Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more
fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing
technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading
businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices,
nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 114,000 colleagues
serve people in more than 160 countries.
Connect with us at www.abbott.com and on LinkedIn, Facebook,
Instagram, X and Youtube.
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SOURCE Abbott