The effect of physician education on the rates of donation request and tissue donation

Our objective was to evaluate physician response to an educational program to increase referral of potential organ or tissue donors in an emergency department (ED). This study was a nonrandomized, controlled, before-after intervention trial at a nonuniversity teaching hospital with 45,000 annual patient visits to the ED. Two one-hour educational sessions reviewed with EMP (but not CON) the physician's role in requesting donation, donor criteria, required-request legislation, and services available from organ procurement professionals. Rates of consideration for donation, discussion with family, consent for donation, recovery of tissues or organs for donation and completion of a donor request form were evaluated before and after the intervention by a blinded chart reviewer. Prior to the intervention, tissue recovery was 0% of EMP and 4% for CON. After intervention, the EMP rate increased to 48% (p < 0.001) but CON remained unchanged (5%, p = 1.0). Similar increases limited to the EMP group were seen for mentioning donation in the narrative chart (1% to 68%, p < 0.001), discussion with family (1% to 65%, p < 0.001), and consent for donation (0% to 32%, p < 0.001). The effect of the intervention was not sustained, with decreased rates of mentioning donation (p = 0.004) and discussion with family (p = 0.02) over six months. Physician education increases request for donation, consent for donation, and recovery of tissue. The duration of this effect is short-lived; repeated interventions may be necessary.