The influence of race on approaching families for organ donation and their decision to donate

Objectives. This study examined whether patients' race was associated with their families' being approached for organ donation and agreeing to donation. Methods. Logistic regression models were applied to data collected from records at 112 hospitals. Results. The odds that a family of a White patient was approached for donation were nearly twice those for a family of an African American. The odds of donation also differed by race, but the magnitude varied by patient and hospital characteristics. Conclusions. Much attention directed toward racial disparity in donation has focused on attitudes of the public. The behavior of hospital staff also may be related to differences in rates.