JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Conventional mail-based follow-up for blood donors with abnormal post-donation results provides no delivery confirmation and precludes two-way communication, creating an accountability gap in donor safety.

Objective:

This study aimed to implement and evaluate a stepwise Telemedicine-based follow-up system for blood donors with abnormal post-donation results, measuring system coverage, case completion time, and donor satisfaction.

Methods:

In this prospective implementation study conducted at Khon Kaen University Hospital (June 20, 2024, to May 30, 2025), all 168 blood donors requiring post-donation follow-up received a stepwise protocol: LINE Official Account (LINE OA) for initial contact and appointment scheduling, followed by Dietz® (two-factor authenticated video/audio telemedicine) for physician consultation, then telephone, then conventional mail. A validated 15-item, five-dimension satisfaction questionnaire (content validity index = 1.00) was distributed anonymously to all Telemedicine-enrolled donors. Case completion time was recorded for all 146 cases with available time-log data.

Results:

Of 168 eligible donors, 146 (86.9%) were enrolled via telemedicine, 16 (9.5%) by telephone, and 6 (3.6%) by mail; confirmed contact rate (Telemedicine + telephone) was 96.4% (162/168) versus 0% previously. Questionnaire response rate was 83.6% (122/146). Median case completion time was 1.90 hours (IQR 1.42–2.50). Overall satisfaction was 4.44 ± 0.27 out of 5.00. Dimension-level Cronbach's α ranged from 0.887to 0.986. Completion time did not differ by sex, age, or follow-up reason (all p > 0.05).

Conclusions:

The stepwise Telemedicine protocol demonstrated high system coverage, rapid case completion, and high donor satisfaction. A residual digital divide (3.6% unreachable by digital means) underscores the need for hybrid follow-up strategies. These findings support broader implementation in blood banking services