Regional Differences in Communication Process and Outcomes of Requests for Solid Organ Donation

Area of Science:

• Transplantation research
• Public health communication
• Medical sociology

Background:

• Geographic disparities in organ availability for transplantation are recognized despite federal regulations.
• Understanding regional differences in organ donation communication is crucial for optimizing consent rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate regional variations in communication during organ donation requests.
• To identify factors influencing family decision-maker (FDM) authorization for organ donation across different geographic areas.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of administrative data from nine organ procurement organizations (OPOs).
• Comparison of interview data from 1339 family decision makers (FDMs) across eight US donor service areas (DSAs).

Main Results:

• Organ donation authorization rates varied significantly (60.4% to 98.1%) across DSAs.
• FDMs in low-authorization regions reported lower satisfaction, less discussion, higher pressure, and less comfort.
• OPO region, time spent discussing donation, topics covered, and requester communication skill predicted authorization.

Conclusions:

• Standardized training for organ donation request staff is essential.
• Improving communication quality can enhance family authorization rates and increase the organ supply for transplantation.