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Obtaining cornea donation consent by telephone
Philippe Gain1, Gilles Thuret, Jean Loup Pugniet
1Department of Ophthalmology Bellevue Hospital, Saint-Etienne, France.
Transplantation
|March 30, 2002
Summary
Telephone consent is effective for cornea donation, despite a lower acceptance rate than in-person interviews. This method secured nearly half of all cornea recovery consents, overcoming logistical barriers to family contact.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Transplantation Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Cornea donation consent is challenging due to logistical barriers preventing face-to-face interviews.
- Prospective studies are needed to evaluate alternative consent methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the effectiveness of telephone contact for obtaining consent for cornea donation.
- To compare telephone consent rates with traditional face-to-face interviews.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study evaluated telephone interviews for cornea donation consent.
- Consent was obtained by a nonmedical hospital coordinator using a standardized telephone procedure when face-to-face interviews were not feasible.
Main Results:
- Over 21 months, 334 families were contacted; 57.5% via telephone and 42.5% face-to-face.
- Overall consent rate was 66.5%. Telephone consent acceptance was 55.2%, compared to 81.6% for face-to-face (P<0.001).
- Telephone interviews facilitated 47.7% of all cornea recovery consents.
Conclusions:
- Telephone interviews are an effective method for securing cornea donation consent.
- While face-to-face interviews have higher acceptance rates, telephone consent is crucial for maximizing cornea procurement, especially when in-person contact is impossible.