Organ donors must document their wishes

Apr 5 2005

According to the results of a new survey by the Coalition on Donation, an alliance of national and local organ and tissue donation education groups, even though many Americans support organ and tissue donation and are willing to become donors themselves, many have not taken the steps required to ensure that their wishes will be carried out after their death.

The survey which was conducted late last year in 50 states across the US, shows that although most of the 4,500 respondents were familiar with donation of organs such as the heart, lungs and liver, 13 percent said they had never heard of tissue donation, including the donation of bone, skin, and eyes, prior to the survey. Tissue transplantation is performed much more frequently than organ transplantation but people are unaware of the option because they do not always listen carefully to their doctors.

He explained that patients undergoing treatment for gum disease, for example, may not pay attention when their dentist explains that he or she will be using ground-up bone as part of the treatment. Similarly, those who need reconstructive knee surgery may simply tune out their doctor's explanation that the ligament used to reconstruct their knee is from a cadaver.

Overall, 91 percent of respondents said they "support" or "strongly support" the donation of organs and tissues from a person who has died to someone who is alive, but only 62 percent said they were willing to donate some or all of their own organs and tissue.

Others said they had not yet decided or were reluctant and 6 percent said they did not want to have their organs and tissue donated upon their death.

David Fleming, executive director of the Coalition on Donation says people who are willing need to take steps to ensure their wishes are carried out.

This may involve more than signing the back of a driver's license or notifying family and friends, as depending on where you live the laws that govern transplantation vary from state to state. Often prospective donors do not always make their wishes known to those around them. The case of Terri Schiavo has brought to the forefront the need for all parties to know your wishes, he says.

To ensure those wishes are carried out, donors need to be aware of their state's requirements. Many of the respondents did not know the procedures required in their state. In New York prospective donors must have their names are listed in the New York State Organ and Tissue Donor Registry as well as informing their family members. In California and Texas, donors need to sign donor cards obtained at the Department of Motor Vehicles, and carry the cards with them at all times. Donors who live in Washington state, however, should list their names in the Living Legacy Registry as well as sign and carry a donor card.

In 2003, more than 25,450 organ transplants and over 900,000 tissue transplants were performed throughout the United States.Today, more than 86,000 people are awaiting transplants, and another name is added every 13 minutes, according to the Coalition's Web site. On average, 17 people die each day from the lack of available organs.

Fleming says they want "inspire a public that is already willing to donate" to take the next step and "put it in writing and tell their families ... so that one day you may have the opportunity to save someone's life".

April is National Donate Life Month. To find out the proper procedure for organ and tissue donation in your state, visit the Coalition on Donation's Web site at www.donatelife.net.