About 43,000 pints of blood are donated each day by Canadians and Americans, which help the 4.5 million patients who need that blood transfusions every year. Total donations aren’t adequate to satisfy demand, though, and shortages occur regularly.
When a patient is in need of blood that isn’t available, it becomes a life and death situation. Historically the Red Cross will make efforts to alert the public during a shortage. But there may be a better way - leverage the social networks to get the word out. If shortages of a certain type of blood occur in a certain zip code, having a database of willing donors in that zip code to contact may be the most efficient way to solve the problem quickly.
That’s where Takes All Types (TAT), a non-profit organization, comes in. Users install their just-released Facebook application, tell it their location and blood type, and say how often they are willing to be contacted to donate blood (maximum is every 57 days). If a shortage occurs, they’ll contact you via the methods that you authorize (Facebook, email, text message, etc.)
This is very practical - however,one concern that some people have is the requirement that one release one’s social security number to donate blood.
If this policy still exists, this may thwart some potential donors in this privacy concerned era.
Facebook.com is very nice!I like its new fucation !
More applications like this are needed and by ‘like this’, I mean something that’s actually useful. Application Spam is going to end up killing Facebook if they don’t curb it in the near future, but this actually serves a purpose.
that’s really awesome, great idea
is there an Australian version?
I love this idea!
This would help me keep track of when I need to give blood! ^_^
I am O+, so I can always help!
I am going to post this on Facebook and tell all of my friends!
Thanks!
-Ray
(I used too many exclamation points, didn’t I? Lol!)
They still need to find a way to GET users to donate blood. This won’t do shit. The last time I donated blood they asked me 100+ questions and kept calling me every week (sometimes at least 2+ times) to get me to come back and donate. It’s just not a pleasant experience donating blood.
How about make the process more appealing than trying to “recruit” more potential donors.
We need more medical Internet tech like this … Im sure it’s coming soon!
Wow, a facebook application that’s actually useful.
For once Facebook heeds some good. These kinds of uses for a social network that almost everyone uses, and checks often is a different web 2.0 in action. This almost validates the shady advertising by Facebook, almost.
I agree with RAY
I have recently donated blood to the Red Cross.
I can say that they don’t require your Social Security Number, they don’t call you every week and they don’t have you fill out a long questionnaire.
What a great idea. I would love to see this application in Australia.
@Atorips:
Thanks!
@Michael Arrington:
Unfortunately, you can only invite 8 friends at a time, so I am going to write a note about this on Facebook, and tag more people in it to get them to signup.
It seems like a national registry for blood donors that caters to the blood donor needs of each geographical area… brilliant!
I just wish there was a way to help out, besides inviting and actually donating.
(Keep in mind I spend most of my paycheck on bills, unfortunately)
-Ray
Great Idea!
services like this make me smile, I think it’s comforting for people to see that others are working to make help more accessible for those in need of something vital
yes - this is a feel-good app.
it is important to note that most blood drives are put on by for-profit orgs. your donation is sold to the highest bidder.
blood/plasma is big business.
fact-finder, is this true? i know that i’ve given blood many times to the USC Blood Center and it makes sense that the blood business would be a profitable one. kind of despicable.
INQdrop.com
I would think this was a lot cooler if they allowed men who have sex with men to donate blood.
@fact-finder:
Most blood drives are hosted by companies, community groups, military bases, churches and synagogues, colleges, universities and high schools here in the United States for the American Red Cross, not for-profit groups.
Before you go tainting other’s views with such claims, back them up with evidence why don’t you?
@Andy R.:
I see no problem with this either as long as the American Red Cross tests for HIV, which they do for everyone else. This would greatly increase the amount of blood available for those in need.
-Ray
Unfortunately there are a lot of useful apps on Facebook, but they just don’t gain traction. Causes is one of the few that did, but it seems to be in decline these days. A lot of dating apps, which are at least somewhat useful in a socnet, also don’t gain traction. The reason is that Facebook is one of the most competitively consumer-targeted markets we’ve ever seen, so the app must appeal on multiple levels to achieve maximum appeal and keep users coming back.
What would help: Add a gaming factor where users earn virtual points and can thus be moved higher in the list if they or a friend should ever need to receive blood. That will keep interaction rates (and invitation sendouts) high. Also, add a dating/friending/flirting component, so users can meet new people as they donate blood. Going to the bloodmobile in real life is so much funner when you see there’s a lot of people around you in the spirit of helping out others. And lastly, allow users to send “virtual blood” to each other as gifts.
By the way, I run the Human Pets app (http://humanpets.com) that used to be a simple dating site on Facebook, but it didn’t gain traction so it was converted to a gaming model with an edgy name. And that finally helped the app take off.
If you’re reading this TAT, I’d be willing to offer extremely cheap advertising for your app. Contact me, thanks. http://humanpets.com is the app, with 60k some daily active users.
That sounds great. I like this facebook application!
Finally a Facebook app that is not just a toy.
http://www.fabianschonholz.com.....-facebook/
Great idea!
I told my hospital (Sweden) last time I visited that the communication through facebook would be a good idea. They didn´t even knew what facebook was… :/
His is great idea, I hope this will be available for other social networking products too..
The facebook app was demo’d over a month ago at the NY Tech Meetup (http://newtech.meetup.com/1) which is having monthly meetings at IAC HQ. You should probably see what’s going on there, just because it doesn’t happen in the valley doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.
I agree with Andy R. (18) - I am O- and had to stop giving blood years back. To think that I could have helped out many many people over the years….
I do think that the app is a great idea though…
Nice application worth it
This is a great innovation in harnessing the power of the web for good. It seems as if this may lead to a more efficient world.
An efficient world is a better one.
Watch out for those vampires looking for their own blood type…..
From Slate
—————
“Does the Red Cross sell your frozen plasma?
………..Yes. All the centers that supply blood for transfusions—whether they’re part of the American Red Cross or not—sell their products to cover operating expenses……………..All blood suppliers are nonprofits, and the prices they charge follow the cost of production. Personnel costs make up half the price hospitals pay “at the pump”—labor can be very expensive, since staffers must be brought on to recruit donors, collect their blood, and then process it and test it for contamination…………….The exact price of a unit of blood varies from place to place. As a rule, coastal blood is more expensive than the stuff in the heartland. (California has the biggest tags.) That’s because the higher cost of living translates into higher labor costs, which get passed on to the hospitals. It’s also more expensive to rent office space and secure advertising time in large urban areas……………….The same unit of red blood cells might cost $220 in Los Angeles but only $150 in Des Moines………………..”
http://www.slate.com/id/2149359
Not too much of a problem in the US, but in other countries, blood and organ theft from coerced donations is pretty common. I would be a little wary of giving out my information to an application that could probably be easily hacked or may sell the information to someone who may leak it to wrongdoers. Rare blood types would be at high risk.
Otherwise, I think it is a good idea. It probably would be better to also have people tested for bone marrow so they can donate for people with leukemia. Would be really nice I think since leukemia kills a lot of people each year unnecessarily.
I’m still too gay to give blood.
They really ought to improve their screening process.
This is a such an innovative idea and represents the true potential of social networks.
My mom had leukemia and sincerely appreciated all of those people who took the time to donate blood to extend her life.
I blogged about this on Qvisory and linked to this article. Thanks for covering this Michael!
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Yeah, too bad the FDA shackles the hands of the Red Cross from allowing gay men from giving blood. If these shortages are so urgent, why do they omit so many eligible donors from their pool?