Public attitudes and behavior regarding organ donation
D. L. Manninen and R. W. Evans
Organ transplantation has been the subject of much attention;
unfortunately, relatively little has been published about public attitudes
toward organ donation. To better document public perceptions on organ
donation, a telephone survey of a nationally representative sample of 2,056
respondents was conducted. We found that nearly 94% of the population had
heard about organ transplantation, but only 19% of these people carried
donor cards. The results indicated that people are somewhat more likely to
donate the organs of a relative who had just died (53%) than they are to
donate their own organs (50%). People were most likely to donate kidneys
(50%) and least likely to donate skin (40%). Most respondents (58%) felt
that next of kin should not be able to override a person's desire to donate
organs as signified by an organ donor card. Few people (7%) supported the
concept of presumed consent. We conclude that while the public is
supportive of organ transplantation, it is not overly enthusiastic about
organ donation. Awareness of this paradox on behalf of the public may
actually facilitate organ donation.
