- 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
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.
The
The pilot study examined the experiences of 282 blood donors who tried mixed reality at 54 collection sites in
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
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
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
Mixed reality is part of
The pilot study was conducted at sites operated by Impact Life of
To find out more about donation locations offering mixed reality visit bethe1donor.com/mixedreality.
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