Decline in Organ Donation in Germany

Area of Science:

• Transplantation research
• Public health policy
• Medical ethics

Background:

• Post-mortem organ donation in Germany has decreased over 30% since 2010.
• The underlying causes for this decline remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the trends and reasons behind the decline in organ donation rates in Germany.
• To analyze the factors influencing organ donor identification and conversion in hospitals.

Main Methods:

• Nationwide secondary analysis of all hospitalizations in Germany from 2010-2015.
• Identification of deceased patients with brain damage eligible for organ donation.
• Separate analysis conducted for six German university hospitals.

Main Results:

• Potential organ donors increased by 13.9% (2010-2015), but contact and realization quotients decreased significantly.
• Contact quotient fell from 11.4% to 8.2%; realization quotient fell from 5.4% to 3.2%.
• Declines were primarily driven by reduced contact with the German Foundation for Organ Transplantation (DSO) and lower conversion rates.

Conclusions:

• The decline in organ donation stems from inadequate recognition and reporting of potential donors within hospitals.
• Enhanced organizational and political support for donor identification and reporting can increase organ transplantation numbers.