Reasons for (not) signing the state registry: surveying Department of Motor Vehicles customers in New York state

Abstract

Context: Prior research examining rationales for enrolling as an organ donor is biased because of its reliance on college student samples and retrospective recall.

Objective: To characterize New York state residents' registry enrollment decisions in close proximity to a registration opportunity.

Design: -Surveys were conducted with customers exiting Department of Motor Vehicle offices.

Participants: A total of 1325 customers were surveyed upon exiting 1 of 18 Department of Motor Vehicle offices spanning 9 counties.

Main outcome measure: Customers making donation-relevant transactions (ie, license renewal/registration) reported whether they had registered as a donor that day, and all other customers reported whether they had registered as a donor in the past. Customers reported reasons to justify their enrollment decision through short interview questions.

Results: Among current donation-relevant transactions (n = 299), 27% reported enrolling in the registry. Of remaining customers, 39% reported enrolling in the state registry in the past. For those who elected not to enroll, many failed to communicate a reason for their decision, or reported a lack of opportunity to sign or decisional uncertainty. Among enrollees, reasons for registration included the altruistic benefits of donation, prior registration, personal experience with donation, and rational arguments for donation.

Conclusion: The value of point-of-decision survey data are discussed in relation to strategic efforts to promote organ donor registration.