B.I.L. BioLife is Life?!
The most easily accessible apps are ones that are compatible with smartphones. Smart phones have become the most prominent form of technology over the past decade. This is due to a spike in purchases and smart phones’ rapidly evolving software. The two major companies that sell smartphones are Apple and Android— these companies see each other as competitors but app developers see them as allies.
An app that I have recently discovered is BioLife. This app serves as an information portal and scheduler for the BioLife Plasma donation centers. I found out about this app by talking with my friends about donating plasma in the state college area. They sent me a message that said “Donate plasma today at Biolife!” There was no link included so I was initially confused but I searched the app and found it in the store to download for free on my iPhone. The app was made because the centers have limited availability for associates to help schedule appointments. Plasma donation involves a lot of help from those who work at the centers, so it makes their job easier if the scheduling is done online. People can also find the center closest to them on the app’s map, as well as other necessary information for donating— health risks, information on the process, and other answers to frequently asked questions.
The difference between this app and other scheduling apps is that it gives you more than just a date. It lets you know about how much time you will need for an appointment, and educates you on plasma in general. A lot of sites that set up appointments strictly do the appointment management but don’t have an educational aspect. Since many people have not heard of donating plasma, it was very beneficial for this app to include the knowledge that one should have before booking an appointment.
Although this app does get the job done, there are some bugs and improvements that could be made which is why the app only has two stars. For instance, when you get on the app there is a button to recommend a friend. I assume it is supposed to send a link to get the BioLife app, but instead it simply sends a normal text that says “Donate plasma today at Biolife!” This is why I received this message from my friend. If the link worked, it may make it more likely for someone to actually download the app since they don’t have to manually search it. We all know how lazy humans can be. This app also glitches a lot and some reviews said it would not let them sign into their account. These things should be fixed so that it doesn’t turn potential clients away.
This app does work, but when it glitches it makes me want to just call to schedule instead. Some people do successfully use the app however, and make appointments through it consistently. One of my friends just tried the app out and went to give plasma earlier this week.
REFERENCES
BioLife Plasma Services, www.biolifeplasma.com/us/?gclid=CjwKCAiAhJTyBRAvEiwAln2qB0Hmiq0zD6PdUHPwdKBP3qcTdjvHhuv6nb4ZPuasmCJBNTx_V0FAjRoCTkEQAvD_BwE#/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=bai:pt:bs-scp:12162019.