– Blood Centers of America and Abbott have partnered to deploy mixed-reality headsets for blood donors.– The high-tech holographic glasses, built by Microsoft and programmed by Abbott, transport wearers to a virtual zen garden.– The experience aims to calm first-time donors and attract more young people to donate blood.– The number of donors under age 30 has dropped by nearly a third in the last decade, and high school and college age donors are down by roughly half since the pandemic.– The New York Blood Center was the first to deploy the technology, and other blood centers in Houston, Chicago, and Columbus are using the headsets as well.
June 14th is celebrated as World Blood Donor Day, and to mark the occasion this year, several blood centers across the United States are deploying a new, high-tech experience that they hope will attract a new generation of blood donors. Blood Centers of America has partnered with healthcare company Abbott to deploy mixed-reality headsets that donors can wear while they give.
The high-tech holographic glasses are built by Microsoft and programmed by Abbott to transport wearers to a virtual zen garden that they can control with their eyes, while their arms remain still during a donation. The experience is designed to help calm first-time donors and its creators hope it could help to bring in more young people.
Blood Centers of America says that in the last decade, the number of donors under age 30 has dropped by nearly a third. Since the pandemic, high school and college-age donors are down by roughly half. “Unfortunately when the pandemic hit, high schools went virtual and blood drives stopped,” explained Christine Foran, director of corporate and community events at New York Blood Center.
The New York Blood Center was the first place in the country to deploy the technology, with plans to rotate their first 10 headsets to donation sites around the city. Abbott says that blood centers in Houston, Chicago, and Columbus, Ohio are also using the headsets this summer.
“We’re hoping [young donors] are going to come back,” said Foran. “And hopefully when they hear about the mixed reality, they’re going to want to come in and try it.”
One important feature of the technology is that the holographic lenses allow donors’ eyes to be visible in the real world while they explore virtually. That’s vital because blood center staffers need to be able to monitor donors closely and see their eyes while they actually give.
Parthid Patel, 25, has a tradition of donating blood annually around his birthday. This year, he visited the New York Blood Center and was offered the chance to try the holographic glasses. He said he enjoyed the new experience.
The use of mixed-reality headsets is a novel way to attract potential blood donors, particularly younger people. The technology is designed to create an immersive, calming environment for donors, which could help to ease the anxiety of first-time donors and encourage them to become regular donors.
Blood donations are a critical part of healthcare, and the need for blood never stops. Blood transfusions are used to treat a wide range of conditions, including anemia, cancer, and blood disorders, as well as to help people who have lost blood due to injury or surgery. According to a report from the American Red Cross, someone in the United States needs blood every two seconds.
The use of mixed-reality headsets is just one example of how technology is being used to improve the healthcare experience for patients and providers alike. As technology continues to advance, we can expect to see more innovative solutions that help to improve patient outcomes and make healthcare more accessible and efficient.
In retrospect, the deployment of mixed-reality headsets by Blood Centers of America and Abbott is an exciting development in the world of healthcare. By using technology to create a more immersive and calming environment for blood donors, they are helping to ensure that blood donations remain a critical part of healthcare for years to come.
