Preferences for Policy Options for Deceased Organ Donation for Transplantation: A Discrete Choice Experiment
1The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
2The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, Australia
3Institute for Choice, University of South Australia, North Sydney, Australia
4Centre for Kidney Research, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, Australia
5Department of Renal Medicine, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, Australia
6Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Australia.
Meeting: 2015 American Transplant Congress
Abstract number: D244
Keywords: Donation, Economics, Public policy
Session Information
Session Name: Poster Session D: Regulatory Issues in Transplant Administration
Session Type: Poster Session
Date: Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Session Time: 5:30pm-6:30pm
Presentation Time: 5:30pm-6:30pm
Location: Exhibit Hall E
Background: Despite broad public support for organ donation, there is a chronic shortage of deceased donor organs. We sought to identify features of an organ donation policy that were most preferred by the Australian community
Methods: Discrete choice experiment, comparing a hypothetical new organ donation policy to the current policy, described in terms of 8 attributes was conducted in Australians aged over 18. Responses were analysed using a logistic regression model, and presented as odds ratio of preferring a new, compared to, current policy
Results: In 2005 respondents aged 18-87(mean 44.6 years) there was a strong underlying preference for a new compared to current policy. People favoured a policy where: the donor's family still had some involvement in the final donation decision, the registration process was easy, for example by sending all adults a registration form and reply paid envelope, reconfirmation of donation intent was less frequent, there was a direct payment or funeral expense reimbursement (even small amounts), and there was some non-monetary mechanism such as a formal recognition of donation, for example a letter to the donor's family, or the donor's name being added to a memorial. There was significant heterogeneity in preferences; some respondents favoured consent system changes as well as both monetary and non-monetary mechanisms; some favoured only monetary or non-monetary mechanisms, while others favoured only consent system changes. Those respondents who viewed most potential policy changes negatively were also those who would be unlikely to be organ donors anyway, because they also held negative views towards organ donation
Conclusions: Our results suggest that the Australian community are open to alternative organ donation policies including changes to donation registration systems, levels of family involvement and financial and non-financial mechanisms. Future policy discussions and options should not be limited by preconceived notions of what is acceptable to the community
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Howard K, Jan S, Rose J, Wong G, Craig J, Irving M, Tong A, Chadban S, Allen R, Cass A. Preferences for Policy Options for Deceased Organ Donation for Transplantation: A Discrete Choice Experiment [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2015; 15 (suppl 3). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/preferences-for-policy-options-for-deceased-organ-donation-for-transplantation-a-discrete-choice-experiment/. Accessed May 17, 2025.« Back to 2015 American Transplant Congress