Simulating the impact of blood donation policies on donor behavior in the blood supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic

Journal of Systems Thinking in Practice

مقالات آماده انتشار، پذیرفته شده، انتشار آنلاین از تاریخ 13 اردیبهشت 1404

نوع مقاله: Research Article

شناسه دیجیتال (DOI): 10.22067/jstinp.2025.91912.1142

نویسندگان

somayeh fadaei¹؛ alireza pooya^{* 2}؛ Farzad Dehghanian³؛ leila kasraian⁴

¹Department of Management, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

²Department of Management, Faculty of Economics and Administrative sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

³Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ferdowsi University Of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

⁴Blood Transfusion Research Center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, Fars Blood Transfusion center

چکیده

The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, spread globally, disrupting various aspects of daily life and significantly affecting blood transfusion services and donation patterns. One of the primary factors contributing to the decline in donations was the fear and safety concerns of donors about contracting the virus at donation centers. This created immense pressure on blood transfusion facilities. To prevent a shortage of blood products, it became crucial to maintain donor engagement throughout the pandemic. This study investigates the impact of COVID-19 on blood donor behavior and evaluates two strategies aimed at mitigating the decrease in donations: increasing public awareness through advertising and enhancing donation accessibility via mobile units. Using system dynamics modeling, a simulation was conducted with real data from 2018 to 2022. The results show a significant decline in first-time, sporadic, and repeat donors during the pandemic. While advertising policies initially increased donations, their effectiveness waned over time due to overcrowded donation centers and ongoing safety concerns. In contrast, the mobile unit strategy consistently increased donations, without experiencing a subsequent decrease. These findings underscore the importance of adaptive, context-sensitive policies to ensure a stable blood supply during public health crises.

کلیدواژه‌ها

COVID-19؛ Blood donation incentive policies؛ fear and safety concerns؛ Ease of donation؛ Advertising