Emergency Department Organ-Donation Card Pilot Study

Abstract

Objective To determine public attitudes about an emergency department (ED)–based organ-donor enrollment program. Method A total of 211 non–acutely ill patients treated in the ED of a 300-bed urban university hospital between November 1, 2004, and January 2, 2005, were asked to complete a survey. Surveys were obtained over six 4-hour daytime intervals. Results Of the 211 patients, 199 completed the survey and 12 refused. One hundred sixty-four patients (82%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 77%–88%) were interested in organ-donation information via the ED; 173 (87%; 95% CI, 82%–92%) approved of the ED providing organ-donation cards; and 82 (41%; 95% CI, 34%–48%) were current organ-donor cardholders. Of 117 patients who were not current organ-donor cardholders, 65 (56%; 95% CI, 46%–66%) stated that they would be willing to enroll in an ED-based organ-donor card program. Fifty-seven patients (49%, 95% CI, 39%–58%) were African American, and 35 of these (61%; 95% CI, 48%–74%) said they would obtain an organ-donor card via the ED. Overall, 137 of 199 patients (69%; 95% CI, 62%–75%) preferred ED organ donation information in written form, and the remainder preferred a personal interview or lecture. Conclusions An ED organ-donation enrollment program would be acceptable to patients and effective in capturing groups who currently do not have organ-donor cards.