Blood donation in the EU : exploring behavioural insights for innovative interventions : a literature review and an overview of the blood donation landscape in the EU

This Science for Policy report contributes to the policy debate on the importance of securing enough blood and blood products to maintain a functional healthcare system. It outlines recent progressions in the field of blood donation, offering new perspectives on factors associated with blood donor motivations, intentions and behaviour. It also summarises the findings from research following social science and behavioural science research agendas in the field of blood donation, including theoretical models and evidence on motivation that leads to blood donor intentions and behaviour. In addition, it encompasses studies testing the effects of behavioural interventions to increase blood donations, such as reminders, active decision elicitation mechanisms (methods or techniques used to actively prompt or solicit a decision from someone) and public pledges to donate blood. Finally, it describes and reports on the current practices used in blood services across the EU-27.