title: Community attitudes to remunerated blood donation in Australia: results from a national telephone survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Blood in Australia is sourced through voluntary, non-remunerated donations. With periodic shortages in supply, increasing demand for blood products and a donor base that is perceived to be unsustainable, remuneration has been proposed as a means to improve donation rates.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine community attitudes to remunerated blood donation in Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A national random telephone survey of Australian adults age 18-70 was conducted (n = 1024). Associations were tested using a chi-square (χ(2)) test for linear distribution.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Reimbursement for the cost of travel to donate blood was supported by more respondents (46%) than reimbursement for time (19%). Non-donors were more likely to support a payment compared to donors (P = 0.002). Twelve per cent of respondents thought they would be more likely to donate if remunerated while 10% thought they would be less likely. The majority (76%) thought that a payment would not change whether or not they would donate, while 85% thought that it would make other people more likely to donate. The average amount considered to be reasonable reimbursement was AU$30.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the common perception that other people would be motivated to donate blood with the introduction of a financial incentive, remuneration may provide minimal incentive in Australia and is unlikely to increase donor participation for the time being.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Research, School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney; National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, The Australian National University.
authors.forename: Hilary
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bambrick
authors.forename: Gisselle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gallego
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001315:Australia; D001782:Blood Donors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D012051:Reimbursement Mechanisms
keywords: Australia; blood donation; community attitudes; remuneration; survey