Effect of organ donor race on health team procurement efforts
M. S. Hartwig, G. Hall, D. Hathaway and A. O. Gaber
College of Graduate Health Sciences, University of Tennessee, Memphis.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether referral of potential organ donors is
affected by race of the patient. DESIGN: Retrospective chart audit.
SETTING: Regional trauma center serving a 50% African-American population.
PATIENTS: Records of patients meeting organ procurement organization
criteria were reviewed for evidence that (1) they had been identified as a
potential organ donor, (2) the family had been approached about organ
donation, and (3) the family had agreed to or refused organ donation.
RESULTS: There were 620 deaths, 152 (24%) met all donor criteria, 114 (75%)
were identified as potential donors, 90 (59%) were approached for donation,
and 35 (23%) were organ donors. Of the white patients, 84% (71/85) vs 64%
of the African-Americans (43/67) were identified as donors (P < .01);
69% (59) of the whites vs 46% (31) of the African-Americans were approached
for donation (P < .01); and 28% (24) of the whites vs 16% (11) of the
African-Americans were organ donors (P < .086). CONCLUSIONS: Before and
after controlling for cause of death, the risk that African-American donors
would not be identified was more than 2.4 times greater than for whites (P
< .01). No significant racial differences were noted in requests for
suicide and homicide victims; for accident victims, significantly fewer
requests were made of African-Americans. Efforts must be made to determine
the dynamics of interaction between staff and donor families and to enhance
health-care team members' abilities to identify donors and request
donations from both races in stress-provoking situations.
