Ohio Donation Report Card: Ohioans Express Support for Organ, Eye and Tissue Donation

    COLUMBUS, OH, April 12, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- More than 80 percent of Ohioans expressed a desire to donate organs after death, according to the 2010 Anatomical Gift Family Survey. However, only 52 percent have taken action to register their donation wish in the Ohio Donor Registry.

"The disparity between those who support donation and those who register means that 18 Americans die every day waiting for a life-saving organ transplant that didn't come," said Marilyn Pongonis, spokesperson for Donate Life Ohio, the coalition of the state's organ, eye and tissue recovery agencies. "Ohioans are generous by nature; they respond to local, national and international crises. So, the low number of registered donors is surprising to us," she said.

Donate Life Ohio conducted similar attitude and belief surveys in 2001 and 2005. In the past 10 years, attitudes toward organ donation have become more positive among Ohioans, more people are discussing their wishes regarding organ, eye and tissue donation with their families, and awareness about the Ohio Donor Registry has improved. However, barriers to registration remain common.

Lifeline of Ohio, on behalf of Donate Life Ohio, and the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati, conducted a random statewide telephone survey of 2,012 Ohio adults in January 2010. The results of the survey offer some insight into what prevents Ohioans from taking the steps to register as donors, including:

- 31 percent of Ohioans who said they did not want to donate organs, eyes or tissue after death said they didn't think their organs would be useful, thought that they were too old to donate or had health concerns that precluded them from donating.
- 66 percent of those surveyed said they have registered as organ, eye and tissue donors on their driver license - indicating that some Ohioans falsely believe they are registered donors.

The study also revealed that the common myths about organ and tissue donation are still prevalent:
- 28 percent of those polled believe that doctors are more interested in obtaining organs than saving lives of organ donors. This is the most common myth that prevents individuals from registering as donors. In practice, doctors are only concerned with the lives in front of them, and an individual's status as a donor is only considered after everything has been done to save his/her life and death has been declared.
- 9 percent of those surveyed do not believe that an open casket funeral is possible after donation. In fact, if an open casket was possible before donation, it will still be possible after donation.
- 6 percent of respondents believe that organ donation is against their religion, however all major religions in the U.S. support donation.
- While 31 percent of Ohioans who said they do not want to be donors think they are too old or unhealthy to donate, age and health are not prohibiting factors to donation. The oldest donor to date was 92 and saved a life by donating a liver. Individuals that have lived with diseases, like cancer and heart disease, have still given the "Gift of Life" after death.

"These results show us that we still have much work to do to educate Ohioans about donation," said Pongonis. "This report gives us some areas to focus our energy."

Pongonis noted that the organ procurement organizations (OPOs), tissue banks and eye banks in Ohio will continue to encourage residents to confirm their status as donors. "We were surprised to see that 66 percent of people think they are registered as donors, when only 52 percent of Ohioans are registered. We need to ensure Ohioans take the appropriate steps to declare their decision, so we're asking those who wish to donate to check their status."

"Ninety-five percent of donors declare their decision at the BMV," Pongonis said, "Ohioans should look for the red heart in the lower right corner of a license or state ID to verify their status. If someone does not see the heart, but thinks he or she should be registered, we recommend visiting www.donatelifeohio.org to confirm, as it is possible to register through the Internet or paper forms. If you don't see your registration there, register your wishes in the Ohio Donor Registry today," she said.

As part of its ongoing effort to share information about donation, Donate Life Ohio will celebrate National Donate Life Month in April to shed light on the growing need for donors and the nearly 107,000 Americans currently waiting for a transplant. The four OPOs from across the state will host events and educational programs, and use traditional and social media to encourage Ohioans to take action and register as donors to save lives.

Detailed results of the survey are available in the Ohio Donor Designation Report card, www.donatelifeohio.org/Donationreportcard.aspx#.

About the Survey

The 2010 Anatomical Gift Family Survey (AGFS) assessed the current status of Ohioans' attitudes, knowledge and behavior about organ, eye and tissue donation. The data obtained in this random digit-dial telephone survey is helpful to the strategic statewide communication and education planning efforts of Donate Life Ohio, as well the Second Chance Trust Fund Advisory Committee and individual recovery agencies in the state. The survey was sponsored by a grant from The Ohio Department of Health's Second Chance Trust Fund.

The survey was first conducted in 2001 by the University of Cincinnati, Institute for Policy Research (UCIPR) for the Second Chance Trust Fund (SCTF) and Ohio Department of Health. It was replicated in 2005 through a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration Grant.

About Donate Life Ohio
Donate Life Ohio is a coalition of the state's organ, eye and tissue recovery agencies dedicated to educating Ohioans about the need for organ, eye and tissue donation. In this effort to increase donor registrations they are joined by the Ohio Department of Health, the Ohio Department of Public Safety and the Minority Organ and Tissue Transplant Education Program.

About the Second Chance Trust Fund
Through contributions made by individuals at Ohio's BMVs while renewing their Ohio driver's licenses, the Second Chance Trust Fund finances educational and action-oriented campaigns and grants. A $1 contribution supports donation education in Ohio and gives hope to thousands of Ohioans waiting for a second chance through organ, eye and tissue donation.

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