On the problem of improving methods for recruiting potential bone marrow donors in the Russian population

Abstract

BACKGROUND: To achieve the number of potential bone marrow donors in Russian registries to a level sufficient for effective selection of recipients in need of transplantation, it is important to find the most effective ways to recruit Russians as potential bone marrow donors. AIM: To identify areas for improving methods of recruiting potential bone marrow donors in the Russian population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An electronic survey was conducted: the questionnaire included 27 questions, the respondents were participants in the register of potential bone marrow donors of the Vasya Perevoshchikov National Register of Bone Marrow Donors Charitable Foundation, expert validation and a preliminary pilot survey were used. The focus was on factors that determine the population’s readiness to donate, preferred methods of donating biomaterial and territorial accessibility of recruitment centers, opportunities and obstacles to recruiting bone marrow donors. 6,314 people took part in the survey. The work used frequency analysis methods and the Pearson χ2 statistical criterion; the data was processed in the SPSS Statistics program. RESULTS: The most common channels of information about bone marrow donation in the process of involving potential registry participants were mass media (33.6%), social media (18.9%) and the social environment (18.4%). Among the respondents, 30% had experience in human blood donation. The social environment of donors included people who had experience in donating blood: among those surveyed, 48.5% indicated that their relatives served as blood donors; 67.7% noted that their friends were blood donors. For 40% of the registry participants, the method of submitting biospecimens was important. The majority (87%) of respondents indicated that submitting biospecimens at medical centers was the most convenient mechanism for joining the registry. CONCLUSION: The media serve as an effective channel for informing the population; the role of new social media (Internet resources, social networks) is increasing. A significant factor in involvement in the register is the social environment, including people who have experience in donating blood.