Community-based Communication for Blood Donation in Ghana (C-CAD)

University of Minnesota (UMN)

Status: Active, not recruiting

Conditions: Increase Repeat Blood Donation Attempts Among First-time Donors

Treatments: Behavioral: WhatsApp; Behavioral: docudrama

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT05973890

B07

UH3HL151599-04 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

A randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the WhatsApp groups or docudrama compared to a control group (usual engagement with blood services) on repeat blood donation attempts among first-time blood donors in Ghana. Secondary outcomes will be blood donor retention, blood donation knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, motivations, intention to donate, and relatedness as potential mediators of blood donation behavior among first-time blood donors. The RCT will have three arms: 1. WhatsApp; 2. docudrama; 3. control. Each participant in the WhatsApp and docudrama arms will receive the intervention for 14 months. Participants in the control arm will receive standard national blood donation communications and be followed for 14 months. Actualized blood donation is possible every four months using NBSG guidelines; consequently, participants may make multiple blood donation attempts. Return blood donation attempts will be evaluated using the Southern Zonal Blood Center (SZBC) records (primary outcome) and participant self-report (secondary outcome) at 7 months and 14 months. Secondary measures will be evaluated at baseline, 7 and 14 months from enrollment. The duration of the RCT will be 26 months allowing for 12 months to achieve enrollment goals and 14 months of follow-up for the last individual enrolled.

Enrollment: 882 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• At least 18 years-old
• First-time whole blood donor with the SZBC of the NBSG
• Eligible to donate again at the time of eligibility confirmation
• Consent to participate
• Understands one of English, Twi, or Ga
• Have a smart phone
• Have, or be willing to sign up for an active WhatsApp account
• Be willing to watch a docudrama on blood donation in a group setting

Exclusion criteria

• History of more than one lifetime whole blood donation (with any blood center)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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882 participants in 3 patient groups

WhatsApp

Experimental group

Description:

Participants assigned to the WhatsApp arm will receive messages, audios, images and videos in a moderated, closed WhatsApp group over a 14-month duration. The messages aim to motivate blood donation, encourage participants to discuss their blood donation experiences, and allow them to share their motivations for donating blood.

Treatment:

Behavioral: WhatsApp

docudrama

Experimental group

Description:

Participants randomized to this arm will meet three times (Month 2; Month 5 and Month 10), in a group setting, during the intervention. Each group will have a maximum of 20-40 participants. This is a stand-alone activity, which is not associated with a donation event. During each meeting, participants will be asked to watch, in the group setting, an episode of drama, lasting 15 minutes. The docudrama on blood donation will address participant's concerns regarding blood donation and address common donor fears.

Treatment:

Behavioral: docudrama

control

No Intervention group

Description:

standard of care for repeat blood donation