Organ donation: new hope through the expected amendment in Germany?

The current organ donor shortage in Germany results in the death of 1000 patients on the transplant waiting list every year. In response, a recent amendment to the German Transplant Act aiming to increase donor rates was passed. Among a number of other measures, Germans are asked to decide whether they choose to donate organs or not in the event of a brain death or whether they would like to designate someone who should decide for them in this situation. The objective of this study was to collect and evaluate data on the public's attitude toward organ donation before the expected amendment.

A survey on the subject of organ donation was conducted in 2011 among clients of a public pharmacy in a major city in the federal state North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Data regarding sex, age, health behavior, and attitude toward the amendment were collected and association organ donor card possession was analyzed.

A total of 1485 questionnaires were evaluated. Of those surveyed, only 14.1% had an organ donor card. No statistically significant associations between sex (P value .3045), age (P value .1453) and the possession of a donor card were observed. We found that 72.5% of respondents stated that they appreciated the expected amendment, and in the case of implementation, the majority would obtain an organ donor card.

The future success of transplantation medicine relies on an increase in the public's overall willingness to donate organs. Educating the public and ensuring transparency in transplantation medicine are vital to achieving higher donation rates. The new German transplantation act may be an important step to increase society's awareness and participation in organ donation.