Vera Raivola

• University of Eastern Finland

Background and Objectives Maintaining stable blood supplies presents an increasing challenge for blood collection agencies (BCAs). Novel and multidisciplinary approaches and research have been called for to understand the mechanisms underlying the trends. The current body of sociological research on blood donation is a potentially valuable resource...

This study examines how the institutional context informs the ways in which healthy recipients relate to genomic information. Through focus group data, it considers the trend of blood collection agencies (BCA) moving to extend donor genotyping. We investigated how receipt of genomic information is viewed as fitting into the contract of altruistic,...

Background Genomic testing is already used by blood collection agencies (BCAs) to identify rare blood types and ensure the best possible matching of blood. With ongoing technological developments broader applications, such as identification of genetic markers relevant to blood donor health, will become feasible. However, the perspectives of blood d...

In his influential study, “The Gift Relationship” [1970], Richard Titmuss coined the idea of voluntary, non‐paid, blood donation being the gift of life for a fellow citizen. This metaphor has been powerful in mobilising donors. It conveys a direct relationship between blood donation and patients’ vitality, as well as a difference between gains and...

Modern biomedical and genetic studies require large study cohorts; blood donors have been suggested to represent an appropriate group for recruiting healthy cohorts. The Blood Service Biobank (BSB) in Finland was recently established to recruit blood donors willing to give broad biobank consent. The aim of the present study is to understand how the...

BACKGROUND Increasing numbers of blood donors are recruited to participate in biomedical research. As blood services depend on voluntary donors, successful recruitment calls for a better understanding of donors' expectations and attitudes toward the use of samples in research. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Sixty‐one semistructured interviews were condu...