Dataset Information

Racial disparities in preferences and perceptions regarding organ donation.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To identify reasons for lower organ donation rates by African Americans, we examined knowledge and attitudes about brain death, donation, and transplantation and trust in the health care system.

Methods

Data were collected from 1,283 subjects in Ohio using a random digit dial telephone survey. Items were developed based on focus group results. Willingness-to-donate indicators included a signed donor card and willingness to donate one's own and a loved one's organs.

Results

Compared with whites, African-Americans had lower rates of signing a donor card (39.1% vs 64.9%, P < .001), and willingness to donate their own organs (72.6% vs 88.3%, P < .001) or a loved one's organs (53.0% vs 66.2%, P < .001). African Americans had lower scores on the Trust in the Health Care System scale (mean scores +/- SD, 9.43 +/- 3.05 vs 9.93 +/- 2.88, P < .01) and were more likely to agree that "if doctors know I am an organ donor, they won't try to save my life" (38.6% vs 25.9%, P < .001), the rich or famous are more likely to get a transplant (81.9% vs 75.7%, P < .05), and less likely to agree that doctors can be trusted to pronounce death (68.2% vs 82.9, P < .001). African Americans were also more likely to agree that families should receive money for donating organs (45.6% vs 28.0%, P < .001) and funeral expenses (63.1% vs 46.6%, P < .001).

Conclusions

African Americans reported greater mistrust in the equity of the donation system and were more favorable about providing tangible benefits to donor families than white respondents.

SUBMITTER: Siminoff LA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1831604 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Racial disparities in preferences and perceptions regarding organ donation.

Siminoff Laura A LA Burant Christopher J CJ Ibrahim Said A SA

Journal of general internal medicine 20060901 9

<h4>Objectives</h4>To identify reasons for lower organ donation rates by African Americans, we examined knowledge and attitudes about brain death, donation, and transplantation and trust in the health care system.<h4>Methods</h4>Data were collected from 1,283 subjects in Ohio using a random digit dial telephone survey. Items were developed based on focus group results. Willingness-to-donate indicators included a signed donor card and willingness to donate one's own and a loved one's organs.<h4>R ...[more]

PMID: 16918748

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundSocio-cultural perceptions surrounding death have profoundly changed since the 1950s with development of modern intensive care and progress in solid organ transplantation. Despite broad support for organ transplantation, many fundamental concepts and practices including brain death, organ donation after circulatory death, and some antemortem interventions to prepare for transplantation continue to be challenged. Attitudes toward the ethical issues surrounding death and organ donation may influence support for and participation in organ donation but differences between and among diverse populations have not been studied.ObjectivesIn order to clarify attitudes toward brain death, organ donation after circulatory death and antemortem interventions in the context of organ donation, we conducted a scoping review of international English-language quantitative surveys in various populations.Study appraisalA search of literature up to October 2020 was performed, using multiple databases. After screening, 45 studies were found to meet pre-specified inclusion criteria.Results32 studies examined attitudes to brain death, predominantly in healthcare professionals. In most, around 75% of respondents accepted brain death as equivalent to death of the person. Less common perspectives included equating death with irreversible coma and willingness to undertake organ donation even if it caused death. 14 studies examined attitudes to organ donation following circulatory death. Around half of respondents in most studies accepted that death could be confidently diagnosed after only 5 min of cardiorespiratory arrest. The predominant reason was lack of confidence in doctors or diagnostic procedures. Only 6 studies examined attitudes towards antemortem interventions in prospective organ donors. Most respondents supported minimally invasive procedures and only where specific consent was obtained.ConclusionsOur review suggests a considerable proportion of people, including healthcare professionals, have doubts about the medical and ethical validity of modern determinations of death. The prognosis of brain injury was a more common concern in the context of organ donation decision-making than certainty of death.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Discussing deceased organ donation can be difficult not only for families but for health professionals who initiate and manage the conversations. It is well recognised that the methods of communication and communication skills of health professionals are key influences on decisions made by families regarding organ donation. METHODS:This multicentre study is being performed in nine intensive care units with follow-up conducted by the Organ and Tissue Donation Service in New South Wales (NSW) Australia. The control condition is pre-intervention usual practice for at least six months before each site implements the intervention. The COMFORT intervention consists of six elements: family conversations regarding offers for organ donation to be led by a "designated requester"; family offers for donation are deferred to the designated requester; the offer of donation is separated from the end-of-life discussion that death is inevitable; it takes place within a structured family donation conversation using a "balanced" approach. Designated requesters may be intensivists, critical care nurses or social workers prepared by attending the three-day national "Family Donation Conversation" workshops, and the half-day NSW Simulation Program. The design is pre-post intervention to compare rates of family consent for organ donation six months before and under the intervention. Each ICU crosses from using the control to intervention condition after the site initiation visit. The primary endpoint is the consent rate for deceased organ donation calculated from 140 eligible next of kin families. Secondary endpoints are health professionals' adherence rates to core elements of the intervention; identification of predictors of family donation decision; and the proportion of families who regret their final donation decision at 90 days. DISCUSSION:The pragmatic design of this study may identify 'what works' in usual clinical settings when requesting organ donation in critical care areas, both in terms of changes in practice healthcare professionals are willing and able to adopt, and the effect this may have on desired outcomes. The findings of this study will be indicative of the potential benefits of the intervention and be relevant and transferrable to clinical settings in other states and countries. TRIAL REGISTRATION:Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR): ACTRN12613000815763 (24 July 2013). ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01922310 (14 August 2013) (retrospectively registered).

Dataset Information

Racial disparities in preferences and perceptions regarding organ donation.

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Racial disparities in preferences and perceptions regarding organ donation.

Similar Datasets

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