A Randomized Assessment of a County-Wide, Primary Care Provider (PCP) Office-Based Intervention for Organ Donor Registration
1University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, 2University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
Meeting: 2022 American Transplant Congress
Abstract number: 1329
Keywords: Donation, Public policy
Topic: Clinical Science » Public Policy » 21 - Non-Organ Specific: Public Policy & Allocation
Session Information
Session Name: Non-Organ Specific: Public Policy & Allocation
Session Type: Poster Abstract
Date: Monday, June 6, 2022
Session Time: 7:00pm-8:00pm
Presentation Time: 7:00pm-8:00pm
Location: Hynes Halls C & D
*Purpose: The number of individuals awaiting organ transplantation continues to rise steadily, with the current waitlist totaling over 100,000 patients. However, rates of organ donor registration have not kept pace, and need continues to far exceed supply. Low registration rates persist in large part because of an “opt-in” model of registration as well as limited points of engagement for registering new donors; in New York State particularly, the DMV. This study hypothesized that a PCP’s office would be an effective and feasible location for registration and may prove superior to the traditional site (DMV). To this end, the study sought to compare rates of new registration in these settings under control conditions as well as with the addition of an office-based intervention intended to increase registration rates through the delivery of pro-donation messaging from PCPs.
*Methods: 12 PCP offices in Monroe County, NY participated in the study; donor registration data was obtained from all Monroe County DMV sites for the time course of the study through the appropriate agencies. The study was divided into two weeks. The first week comprised the control group. All presenting patients completed a questionnaire determining demographic characteristics and donor registration status. Patients were provided with a registration form without further intervention. In the second (intervention) week, exam rooms were outfitted with a motivational poster; patients were further provided with an informational brochure and providers delivered a script encouraging registration.
*Results: A total of 1292 individuals participated in the control phase. 1099 individuals participated in the study phase, while 11,147 individuals visited the DMV during the same time period. The percentage of new donors registered during the control week was 33.8% (289); the percentage registered during the intervention week was 7.88 (61), yielding a significant difference (χ2=147.77, p<0.001). Percentage of new registration at the DMV over both weeks was 21.02%; yielding a significant difference from both control and intervention groups (χ2=39.7, 109.8; p<0.001).
*Conclusions: This study demonstrated that PCP offices are a feasible location for registering new organ donors, and that registration rates may be superior to traditional registration sites like the DMV. It also demonstrated that the institution of a pro-registration interventions is not guaranteed to raise registration rates; the wide inter-group variation seen in this study implies factors other than awareness and availability of registration materials significantly affect individual’s willingness to become new donors, warranting further investigation.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
McCabe M, Dokus KM, Ryan NJ, James A, Veazie P, Orloff M, McIntosh S, Kashyap R. A Randomized Assessment of a County-Wide, Primary Care Provider (PCP) Office-Based Intervention for Organ Donor Registration [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2022; 22 (suppl 3). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/a-randomized-assessment-of-a-county-wide-primary-care-provider-pcp-office-based-intervention-for-organ-donor-registration/. Accessed December 13, 2024.« Back to 2022 American Transplant Congress