A relational approach to understanding the factors influencing new plasma donor retention in Canada.

Background and objectives: Understanding the experiences and perceptions of new plasma donors is important for developing strategies to retain them.

Materials and methods: This qualitative study focuses on new donors' experiences with plasma donation, the factors that influence their interest in donating again and their thoughts about establishing a regular plasma donation routine. We conducted 48 one-on-one semi-structured interviews and used reflexive thematic analysis with a relational approach to donation to analyse these data.

Results: For new plasma donors in this study, interest in returning to donate again was facilitated by relational care, where donors were cared for by attentive staff, and felt they could care for others by donating. Their interest in helping others through ongoing donation was influenced by their relationships with people who have benefited from blood products or experienced illnesses they associated with plasma-derived medicines, as well as their sense of social responsibility and community belonging. The most prevalent deterrent to donating again was the experience of feeling unwell during or after donation. The practice of relational care from staff members can mitigate the fallout of the negative experience. Retention of new donors requires flexibility to ensure that donation is easy, convenient and does not negatively impact their health and ability to care for others in their social network.

Conclusion: Investigating retention decisions for new plasma donors through the lens of relational care provides insight that can help blood collection agencies develop more effective strategies for retention in non-remunerated settings.