A Paradigm Shift in the Approach to Families for Organ Donation: Honoring Patients' Wishes Versus Request for Permission in Patients With Department of Motor Vehicles Donor Designations (With Discussion)

The authors recently reported only an 80% donation consent rate for Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) designated donor patients. Over a three month period, this equaled missed opportunities for 17 potential transplant recipients. In order to increase donation consent rate in prior DMV donor designation patients, the authors undertook the current study. The authors modified their donor consent approach in October 2006 by asking that the patient's wishes be honored, rather than by asking for permission. There was comparison of donor consent rates from (preinitiative) January through September 2006 and (postinitiative) October 2006 through April 2007. Sixty-six approaches were made in the preinitiative period. Of these, 24 patients (36%) were registered as DMV donors. A total of 43 families (65%) gave consent for donation. Of patients with prior DMV designation, 20 of 24 families (83%) donated, and of patients with no DMV designation, 23 of 42 families (55%) donated. There was successful transplantation of 144 organs (per procurement average of 3.3 organs). Postinitiative, there were 71 approaches. Forty-two families (59%) donated and there was transplantation of 125 organs (per procurement average of 3.0 organs). For non-DMV designated donors, 23 of 52 (44%) granted consent for donation. Of DMV-designated donors, all 19 families (100%) consented to donation. Organ procurement in this population increased to 100% when the authors modified their approach to organ donation consent to honor a patient's DMV donor designation-based wishes rather than ask for permission. Additional efforts are needed, however, regarding first-person organ donation consent recognition at the state and national levels.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00225282
• Authors:
  • Christmas, Ashley Britton
  • Mallico, Eric J
  • Burris, Gary W
  • Bogart, Tyson A
  • Norton, Harry James
  • Sing, Ronald F
• Publication Date: 2008-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 1507-1510
• Serial:
  • Journal of Trauma, Injury, Infection and Critical Care
  • Volume: 65
  • Issue Number: 6
  • Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
  • ISSN: 0022-5282

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Families; Patients
• Uncontrolled Terms: Consent; Organ donation; Paradigm shift
• Subject Areas: Highways; Society; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01118240
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 31 2008 8:03AM