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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2016 Aug;31(8):832-9.
doi: 10.1007/s11606-016-3630-5.

Effects of a Video on Organ Donation Consent Among Primary Care Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

J Daryl Thornton  1   2 , Catherine Sullivan  3 , Jeffrey M Albert  4 , Maria Cedeño  3 , Bridget Patrick  3 , Julie Pencak  3 , Kristine A Wong  5 , Margaret D Allen  6   7 , Linda Kimble  8 , Heather Mekesa  9 , Gordon Bowen  9 , Ashwini R Sehgal  3   4   10
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effects of a Video on Organ Donation Consent Among Primary Care Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

J Daryl Thornton et al. J Gen Intern Med. 2016 Aug.

Abstract

Background: Low organ donation rates remain a major barrier to organ transplantation.

Objective: We aimed to determine the effect of a video and patient cueing on organ donation consent among patients meeting with their primary care provider.

Design: This was a randomized controlled trial between February 2013 and May 2014.

Setting: The waiting rooms of 18 primary care clinics of a medical system in Cuyahoga County, Ohio.

Patients: The study included 915 patients over 15.5 years of age who had not previously consented to organ donation.

Interventions: Just prior to their clinical encounter, intervention patients (n = 456) watched a 5-minute organ donation video on iPads and then choose a question regarding organ donation to ask their provider. Control patients (n = 459) visited their provider per usual routine.

Main measures: The primary outcome was the proportion of patients who consented for organ donation. Secondary outcomes included the proportion of patients who discussed organ donation with their provider and the proportion who were satisfied with the time spent with their provider during the clinical encounter.

Key results: Intervention patients were more likely than control patients to consent to donate organs (22 % vs. 15 %, OR 1.50, 95%CI 1.10-2.13). Intervention patients were also more likely to have donation discussions with their provider (77 % vs. 18 %, OR 15.1, 95%CI 11.1-20.6). Intervention and control patients were similarly satisfied with the time they spent with their provider (83 % vs. 86 %, OR 0.87, 95%CI 0.61-1.25).

Limitation: How the observed increases in organ donation consent might translate into a greater organ supply is unclear.

Conclusion: Watching a brief video regarding organ donation and being cued to ask a primary care provider a question about donation resulted in more organ donation discussions and an increase in organ donation consent. Satisfaction with the time spent during the clinical encounter was not affected.

Trial registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01697137.

Keywords: donor designation; minority donation; organ donation; organ transplantation; public attitudes; racial disparities; randomized controlled trial.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Funding/Support

Supported, in part, by grants P60MD002265 and UL1TR000439 from the National Institutes of Health, and grants R39OT22056 and R39OT26989 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Study eligibility and enrollment.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Thornton JD, Alejandro-Rodriguez M, Leon JB, et al. Effect of an iPod video intervention on consent to donate organs: a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med. 2012;156(7):483–490. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-156-7-201204030-00004. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Rodrigue JR, Krouse J, Carroll C, Giery KM, Fraga Y, Edwards E. A Department of Motor Vehicles intervention yields moderate increases in donor designation rates. Prog Transplant. 2012;22(1):18–24. doi: 10.7182/pit2012436. - DOI - PubMed
    1. DuBay DA, Ivankova N, Herby I, et al. African American organ donor registration: a mixed methods design using the theory of planned behavior. Prog Transplant. 2014;24(3):273–283. doi: 10.7182/pit2014936. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Thornton JD, Curtis JR, Allen MD. Completion of advanced care directives is associated with willingness to donate. J Natl Med Assoc. 2006;98(6):897–904. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sander SL, Miller BK. Public knowledge and attitudes regarding organ and tissue donation: an analysis of the northwest Ohio community. Patient Educ Couns. 2005;58(2):154–163. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2004.08.003. - DOI - PubMed

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