Version 2.0

Updated January 2026

Bloodlink Complete User Guide

Comprehensive documentation for donors, hospitals, and administrators using the Bloodlink Africa blood donation platform.

For Donors

Chapters 6-12

For Hospitals

Chapters 13-22

For Administrators

Chapters 23-28

Part I: Getting Started

1Introduction to Bloodlink

1.1 What is Bloodlink?

Bloodlink is a comprehensive blood donation management platform designed specifically for the African healthcare ecosystem. It connects blood donors with hospitals and blood banks, streamlines the donation process, and helps ensure a reliable blood supply for medical emergencies.

1.2 Key Features

Smart Donor Matching: AI-powered system matches donors with requests based on blood type, location, and availability
Real-time Inventory: Track blood supplies across multiple facilities
Emergency Alerts: Instant notifications for urgent blood needs
Health Tracking: Monitor donation history and health metrics
Gamification: Earn rewards and achievements for donations

1.3 User Types

Donors

Individual blood donors who want to save lives

Hospitals

Healthcare facilities managing blood requests

Administrators

Platform administrators and system managers

2System Requirements

2.1 Web Application

Component	Minimum	Recommended
Browser	Chrome 90+, Firefox 88+, Safari 14+	Latest version
Internet	3G connection	4G/LTE or WiFi
Screen	320px width	768px+ width

2.2 Mobile Application

iOS

iOS 14.0 or later
iPhone 8 or newer
100MB storage

Android

Android 8.0 or later
2GB RAM minimum
100MB storage

3Account Creation

3.1 Registration Process

1
Visit Registration Page
Navigate to bloodlink.africa/register or tap "Create Account" in the app
2
Enter Personal Information
Provide your name, email, phone number, and create a secure password
3
Verify Contact
Enter the 6-digit OTP sent to your phone or email
4
Complete Profile
Add your blood type, location, and health information

3.2 Account Types

Donor Account

For individuals who want to donate blood

• Free to create
• Book appointments
• Track donations
• Earn rewards

Hospital Account

For healthcare facilities

• Requires verification
• Create blood requests
• Manage inventory
• Access analytics

4Navigation Basics

4.1 Main Navigation

The Bloodlink interface is organized into clear sections for easy navigation:

Dashboard

Appointments

Centers

Settings

5Accessibility Features

Bloodlink is designed to be accessible to all users:

Screen Reader Support

Full ARIA labels and semantic HTML

Multiple Languages

English, French, Swahili, Portuguese, Arabic

High Contrast Mode

Enhanced visibility for visual impairments

Adjustable Text Size

Customize font sizes to your preference

Part II: Donor Portal

6Donor Dashboard Overview

Your donor dashboard is your central hub for managing your blood donation journey.

6.1 Dashboard Components

Donation Summary

• Total donations made
• Lives potentially saved
• Next eligible date
• Donation streak

Active Requests

• Urgent requests nearby
• Compatible matches
• Distance to centers
• Request urgency level

Upcoming Appointments

• Scheduled donations
• Appointment reminders
• Center information
• Preparation checklist

Health Status

• Eligibility status
• Last health check
• Vital statistics
• Deferral status

7Eligibility Screening

7.1 Basic Eligibility Requirements

You CAN donate if:

• You are 18-65 years old
• You weigh at least 50kg (110 lbs)
• You are in good general health
• It has been 56+ days since your last whole blood donation
• Your hemoglobin level is adequate (12.5g/dL for women, 13.0g/dL for men)

You CANNOT donate if:

• You have a fever or feel unwell
• You have taken antibiotics in the last 7 days
• You have had a tattoo or piercing in the last 12 months
• You are pregnant or have given birth in the last 6 months
• You have had recent surgery or dental work

8Appointment Scheduling

8.1 How to Book an Appointment

1Navigate to Appointments → Book New
2Select your preferred donation center from the map or list
3Choose an available date and time slot
4Complete the pre-donation questionnaire
5Confirm your appointment and receive confirmation code

9Finding Donation Centers

Use the interactive map or list view to find donation centers near you. Filter by distance, operating hours, and available appointment slots.

10Emergency Response

Responding to Emergency Requests

When you receive an emergency notification, you can respond immediately through the app.

• Tap the notification to view request details
• Confirm your availability and estimated arrival time
• Follow the directions to the donation location
• Check in upon arrival using the QR code

11Rewards & Achievements

Earn points, badges, and rewards for your donations. Track your progress on the leaderboard and unlock special achievements.

🥉

Bronze Donor

5 donations

🥈

Silver Donor

15 donations

🥇

Gold Donor

30 donations

💎

Platinum Donor

50 donations

12Health Tracking

Monitor your health metrics, donation history, and eligibility status. Receive personalized recommendations for maintaining donation readiness.

Part III: Hospital Portal

13Hospital Dashboard

The hospital dashboard provides a comprehensive overview of your facility's blood bank operations.

Real-time Inventory

View current stock levels by blood type with expiration alerts

Active Requests

Track pending blood requests and donor responses

Scheduled Donations

Manage upcoming donor appointments at your facility

Analytics Overview

Key metrics on collection efficiency and utilization

14Creating Blood Requests

Learn how to create urgent and routine blood requests, set priority levels, and manage donor responses.

15Inventory Management

Manage blood inventory levels, track expiration dates, and set up automatic reorder alerts.

16Donor Management

View and manage donors associated with your facility, track donation history, and communicate with donors.

17Scheduling System

Configure appointment slots, manage walk-ins, and optimize collection schedules.

18Reports & Analytics

Generate comprehensive reports on collections, inventory utilization, and operational efficiency.

19Staff Management

Manage staff accounts, assign roles and permissions, and track staff activity.

20Quality Assurance

Implement quality control procedures, document testing results, and maintain compliance records.

21Regulatory Compliance

Ensure compliance with local and international blood banking regulations and standards.

22Communication Tools

Send notifications to donors, communicate with other hospitals, and manage announcement broadcasts.

Part IV: Administrator Portal

23Admin Dashboard

Platform-wide overview including system health, user statistics, and operational metrics.

24User Management

Manage all platform users, verify hospital accounts, and handle account issues.

25Organization Management

Manage hospital organizations, approve new registrations, and configure organization settings.

26System Configuration

Configure platform settings, notification templates, and system-wide parameters.

27Platform Analytics

Access comprehensive analytics on platform usage, donation trends, and system performance.

28Security Administration

Manage security settings, audit logs, and access controls across the platform.

Part V: Reference

Appendix A: Glossary

ABO Blood Group

Classification system for blood types (A, B, AB, O)

Crossmatch

Test to ensure donor blood is compatible with recipient

Deferral

Temporary or permanent exclusion from donating

Hemoglobin

Protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen

Appendix B: Blood Type Compatibility

Blood Type	Can Donate To	Can Receive From
O-	All Types (Universal Donor)	O-
O+	O+, A+, B+, AB+	O+, O-
A-	A-, A+, AB-, AB+	A-, O-
A+	A+, AB+	A+, A-, O+, O-
B-	B-, B+, AB-, AB+	B-, O-
B+	B+, AB+	B+, B-, O+, O-
AB-	AB-, AB+	AB-, A-, B-, O-
AB+	AB+	All Types (Universal Recipient)

Appendix C: Keyboard Shortcuts

Navigation

DashboardCtrl + D

SearchCtrl + K

SettingsCtrl + ,

Actions

New AppointmentCtrl + N

SaveCtrl + S

HelpF1

Appendix D: Troubleshooting

Common issues and their solutions for the Bloodlink platform.

Appendix E: API Reference

For detailed API documentation, visit API Documentation

Appendix F: Privacy & Security

Data Encryption

All data is encrypted in transit and at rest using AES-256

HIPAA Compliance

Platform meets healthcare data protection standards

Appendix G: Regulatory Compliance

Information about compliance with WHO, FDA, and regional blood banking regulations.

Appendix H: Support Resources

Help Center

support.bloodlink.africa

Emergency Line

+254 800 BLOOD (25663)

1.1 What is Bloodlink?

1.2 Key Features

Smart Donor Matching: AI-powered system matches donors with requests based on blood type, location, and availability
Real-time Inventory: Track blood supplies across multiple facilities
Emergency Alerts: Instant notifications for urgent blood needs
Health Tracking: Monitor donation history and health metrics
Gamification: Earn rewards and achievements for donations

1.3 User Types

Donors

Individual blood donors who want to save lives

Hospitals

Healthcare facilities managing blood requests

Administrators

Platform administrators and system managers

Component

Minimum

Recommended

Browser

Chrome 90+, Firefox 88+, Safari 14+

Latest version

Internet

3G connection

4G/LTE or WiFi

Screen

320px width

768px+ width

Blood Type

Can Donate To

Can Receive From

O-

All Types (Universal Donor)

O-

O+

O+, A+, B+, AB+

O+, O-

A-

A-, A+, AB-, AB+

A-, O-

A+

A+, AB+

A+, A-, O+, O-

B-

B-, B+, AB-, AB+

B-, O-

B+

B+, AB+

B+, B-, O+, O-

AB-

AB-, AB+

AB-, A-, B-, O-

AB+

All Types (Universal Recipient)

Bloodlink Complete User Guide

For Donors

For Hospitals

For Administrators

Part I: Getting Started

1.1 What is Bloodlink?

1.2 Key Features

1.3 User Types

Donors

Hospitals

Administrators

2.1 Web Application

2.2 Mobile Application

iOS

Android

3.1 Registration Process

Visit Registration Page

Enter Personal Information

Verify Contact

Complete Profile

3.2 Account Types

Donor Account

Hospital Account

4.1 Main Navigation

Screen Reader Support

Multiple Languages

High Contrast Mode

Adjustable Text Size

Part II: Donor Portal

6.1 Dashboard Components

Donation Summary

Active Requests

Upcoming Appointments

Health Status

7.1 Basic Eligibility Requirements

You CAN donate if:

You CANNOT donate if:

8.1 How to Book an Appointment

Responding to Emergency Requests

Part III: Hospital Portal

Real-time Inventory

Active Requests

Scheduled Donations

Analytics Overview

Part IV: Administrator Portal

Part V: Reference

Navigation

Actions

Data Encryption

HIPAA Compliance

Help Center

Emergency Line

Bloodlink Complete User Guide

For Donors

For Hospitals

For Administrators

Part I: Getting Started

1.1 What is Bloodlink?

1.2 Key Features

1.3 User Types

Donors

Hospitals

Administrators

2.1 Web Application

2.2 Mobile Application

iOS

Android

3.1 Registration Process

Visit Registration Page

Enter Personal Information

Verify Contact

Complete Profile

3.2 Account Types

Donor Account

Hospital Account

4.1 Main Navigation

Screen Reader Support

Multiple Languages

High Contrast Mode

Adjustable Text Size