Using a professional organization as a Donate Life workplace model program to increase organ/tissue donation

The need for organ/tissue transplants in the U.S. continues to exceed the number of available donations.

Purpose: To demonstrate the feasibility of using a professional organization as a workplace partnership to increase organ/tissue donors.

Method: A baseline survey assessed knowledge, attitudes and behavior. Principles of Diffusion of Innovations provided the framework for developing this workplace model for a professional organization. The educational and motivational campaign for registrations included: branding the Donate Life logo on professional correspondence, email and phone messages; myth-busters on the website and newsletters; presentations at educational and legislative workshops and conferences, home care agency visits, and payroll stuffers. Process measures evaluated feasibility.

Results: The survey respondents (n=781) were 66.1% white female, 23.6% black female, and 6.8% white and black males. Most (64%) were married and 37.1% had education beyond high school. Positive attitudes toward donation and average knowledge about donation were observed but less than half of overall respondents reported being registered donors. To date almost 700 registrations resulted from the workplace campaign. Process evaluation indicated that feasibility of such a model program is low because of championing and compliance issues by the professional organization; however, contextual factors such as disruptions by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, closing of the university and other resulting priorities hindered research efforts.

Conclusion: Attitudes toward organ/tissue donation were generally positive and knowledge was adequate, but registrations do not occur unless individuals are personally presented with convenient opportunities for registration.