Open AccessRacial Disparities in Preferences and Perceptions Regarding Organ Donation
Author(s) -
Siminoff Laura A.,
Burant Christopher J.,
Ibrahim Said A.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of general internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.746
H-Index - 180
eISSN - 1525-1497
pISSN - 0884-8734
DOI - 10.1111/j.1525-1497.2006.00516.x
Subject(s) - medicine , organ donation , willingness to accept , donation , family medicine , african american , telephone survey , health care , demography , transplantation , surgery , willingness to pay , advertising , ethnology , business , sociology , economics , history , microeconomics , economic growth
OBJECTIVES: To identify reasons for lower organ donation rates by African Americans, we examined knowledge and attitudes about brain death, donation, and transplantation and trust in the health care system. METHODS: Data were collected from 1,283 subjects in Ohio using a random digit dial telephone survey. Items were developed based on focus group results. Willingness‐to‐donate indicators included a signed donor card and willingness to donate one's own and a loved one's organs. RESULTS: Compared with whites, African‐Americans had lower rates of signing a donor card (39.1% vs 64.9%, P <.001), and willingness to donate their own organs (72.6% vs 88.3%, P <.001) or a loved one's organs (53.0% vs 66.2%, P <.001). African Americans had lower scores on the Trust in the Health Care System scale (mean scores±SD, 9.43±3.05 vs 9.93±2.88, P <.01) and were more likely to agree that “if doctors know I am an organ donor, they won't try to save my life” (38.6% vs 25.9%, P <.001), the rich or famous are more likely to get a transplant (81.9% vs 75.7%, P <.05), and less likely to agree that doctors can be trusted to pronounce death (68.2% vs 82.9, P <.001). African Americans were also more likely to agree that families should receive money for donating organs (45.6% vs 28.0%, P <.001) and funeral expenses (63.1% vs 46.6%, P <.001). CONCLUSIONS: African Americans reported greater mistrust in the equity of the donation system and were more favorable about providing tangible benefits to donor families than white respondents.