Value Co-Creation using Activity Theory: Cord Blood Donor Recruitment in Hospitals
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Date
2018-08
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The British University in Dubai (BUiD)
Abstract
Donor management involves major activities including recruitment, invitation, selection, and donation processes. Donor recruitment is one of the critical stages that ensures sufficient amounts of blood are received at blood collection sites. Donor recruitment and blood strategy management need to be researched according to the culture and social environment of the country concerned. Only a few studies have been conducted on a national scale on cord blood donor recruitment processes. Hematopoietic stem cells donations within public cord blood registries are highly important in Arab countries since, out of 20 million Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) donors registered globally, less than 50 are registered in the Arabian Gulf countries.
This thesis uses the conceptual resources of cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) to identify potential mediating instruments between S-D logic and practice-based views. The research problem concerns how to combine these two views. The researcher argues that by using different models and tools of activity theory we will enhance our understanding of issues such as knowledge fragmentation, contradictions and different ambiguities that occur in healthcare contexts. Dubai Cord Blood and Research Center (DCRC) is the only governmental cord blood centre in the UAE. The DCRC provides expectant mothers two main cord blood-banking options which are private (family) banking of newborns’ UCB stem cells where the unit is kept for the family use, and public banking where one can donate their newborn’s UCB stem cells to be used by others for transplantation.
This is the first study that combines activity-theoretical analysis with value co-creation processes in a particular service where activity theory is used as a tool to expand S-D logic for practice development in cord blood donor recruitment processes in hospitals. In conclusion, several common ingredients emerged between S-D logic and activity theory which include: the role of beneficiary (user), actors as dynamic systems, importance of context as human institutions, and importance of knowledge as an operant resource. This research provides a foundation for improvements to practice in voluntary cord blood recruitment. Knowledge about the importance of public cord blood donation is essential among community, expectant mothers and healthcare providers to develop reliable donor recruitment processes for public cord blood banks.
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Keywords
donor management, donor recruitment, blood strategy management, cord blood banks, cord blood donation