Why do potential body donors decide against donating?

Area of Science:

• Anatomy education
• Medical research
• Human body donation

Background:

• The University of Otago's Anatomy Department has a 70-year history of accepting body bequests for anatomical study.
• Body donations are crucial for educating medical, dental, and surgical trainees, as well as other students.
• While donor demographics are known, reasons for incomplete registration are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify why individuals who request body bequest information do not finalize their registration.
• To understand barriers to completing the body donation registration process.

Main Methods:

• An anonymous questionnaire was distributed to 142 individuals who had requested bequest information but not registered.
• The study period for contacting individuals was January 2010 to August 2011, with questionnaires sent in March 2012.
• A total of 131 usable responses were obtained after accounting for undelivered questionnaires.

Main Results:

• The primary motivation for inquiring about body donation was a desire to support medical advancement.
• The most common reason for non-completion was the 90 kg donor weight restriction (25% of respondents).
• Other deterrents included family objections, prion disease concerns, lost forms, and indecision, with some ultimately completing registration.

Conclusions:

• Acceptance restrictions at the time of death discourage potential body donors.
• Approximately 40% of respondents were undecided or had lost forms, with the survey prompting some to register.
• Bequest programs should implement follow-up strategies for individuals who request information but do not complete registration promptly.