Table 1.
Studies showing association between information discussed during request for organ donation and consent rate for organ donation. Numbers are percentages of relatives consenting to organ donation when factor was present or not, unless stated otherwise
| Study | No studied | Type of study | Factors associated with consent | % consenting | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| With factor | Without factor | |||||
| Siminoff et al,w1 2001, US | 420 | Retrospective data collection via chart reviews, and telephone interviews with healthcare practitioners or organ procurement organisation (OPO) staff, and face to face interviews with family for all donor eligible deaths | Cost of donation; impact of donation on funeral arrangements; assurances that family had choice about which organs to donate | NA | NA | <0.002 (across groups) |
| Mean No of discussions regarding organ donation | 2.4 | 2 | ||||
| Told family that they were required to ask about donation | 44 | 62* | ||||
| Told family of potential to help others | 72 | 39* | ||||
| DeJong et al,w3 1998, US | 164 | Structured telephone interview with immediate next of kin 4-6 months after death of relative | Family thought that they were given enough information to make informed decision about organ donation | 95 | 67 | <0.01 |
| Family aware of needs based organ allocation | 44 | 24 | <0.02 | |||
| Family aware of benefits of donation | 93 | 68 | <0.01 | |||
| Family aware donation is cost neutral | 83 | 50 | <0.01 | |||
| Family understood that regular funeral service was possible after organ donation | 92 | 73 | <0.001 | |||
| Rosel et al,w5 1999, Spain | 71 | Postal survey sent to all families who had been approached for organ donation at single hospital within 12 month period | Family aware of needs based organ allocation | NA | NA | <0.01 |
| Rodrigue et al,w4 2003, US | 1014 | Structured telephone interview with next of kin | Families thought enough information given | 89 | 56 | <0.001 |
| Families thought information presented clearly | 89 | 73 | <0.001 | |||
| Siminoff et al,w20 2002, US | 420 | Retrospective data collection via chart reviews, telephone, and face to face interviews | Families thought enough information discussed | 65 | 41 | 0.001 |
NA=not available (data not given); OPO=organ procurement organisation.
*Calculated from published data.