Human Organ Donation: Does Knowledge Correlate with Intention?

Abstract

One increasing form of social distress in the USA today is the increasing number of ill Americans who die while awaiting a life-saving organ (Satel, 2008). While organ donation is a life saving practice supported by 95 per cent of Americans, only half of the U.S. population is registered to donate organs. To explore this discrepancy between attitudes and behaviors relating to organ donation, 135 New Yorkers completed an anonymous 25-item survey to assess individuals' accurate knowledge of organ donation and their organ donor practices. Results support the researchers' two hypotheses: (a) individuals who possess more accurate information about organ donation practices are more likely to be organ donors (r=.225, p<.01) and (b) are more likely to have had experience with organ donation, either directly or indirectly (r =.247, p <.01). These findings have implications for the organ donation community, specifically the focus of campaigns that seek to increase the number of registered organ donors.