National program
Ethnic issue
Culturally Competent Methods to Promote Organ Donation Rates Among African-Americans Using Venues of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.transproceed.2008.03.060Get rights and content

Abstract

Background

The diversity of the nation is one of society's greatest assets, but this feature is overshadowed by the disproportionate burden of disease that exists among America's minorities. Evidence of the disparate health status has been documented in low life expectancy, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular, and kidney disease as well as a plethora of disorders that necessitate organ transplantation. Many minorities have been reluctant to register to become organ donors. This circumstance can be alleviated by educating the public regarding the necessity of organ transplantation. We have developed a “unique” collaborative outreach program designed to promote acceptance of organ donation in African-Americans (AAs). Our outreach curriculum at Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) has resulted in increased registrations and awareness regarding the need and positive perceptions toward donation.

Methods

We developed a culturally sensitive outreach program: cultural sensitivity indicates how culture has the ability to influence communication between patients and health providers. An “Outreach Promotional Contest” was strategically targeted toward 28 Ohio BMVs to promote and assist in an outreach educational program regarding organ donation/registry.

Results

The consequence/results has been an increase of 3.4% in the BMV locations. The one BMV, with the highest increase was attended predominantly by AAs which moreover, won first place in the contest (6.425%; P < .05).

Conclusion

To increase the number of people willing to register, we believe that both community education regarding the need and importance, as well as culturally sensitive promotion of organ donation, is the best way to increase organ donor registries particularly among minority populations.

Section snippets

Methods

Important aspects, often overlooked, which have historically influenced minority's willingness to sign an organ donor registry, are “trust,” awareness of the need, and the ability of the person approaching them to communicate effectively in a culturally sensitive manner. Cultural sensitivity in this analysis indicates how culture has the ability to strongly influence the amount and type of communication between patients and their health providers. An outreach contest was strategically targeted

Results

The overall consequence of the “OutReach Organ Donation Registry Contest” and collaborative resulted in a mean Σ increase of 3.425% (15.7% to 53.35% overall in registry issuances; (Table 1) in all functional BMVs. Within the BMV contender's developments, there were three foremost BMVs that exceeded the contest's requirement maximal 3.0% increase in registries. One particularly BMV, which is predominately attended by minorities, won first place at 6.425% P < .05 in Wade Park, Cleveland, Ohio.

Discussion

Culturally competent, simple yet fundamental community outreach provided by multicultural health provider-organ donation educator teams targeted to provide incentives to BMVs, particularly BMVs serving minority communities, was an effective “educational tool” to change attitudes and behaviors toward organ donation among minority communities. This approach resulted in increased registration/issuance rates of AA organ donor registries. The development of “trust-building” between health providers,

References (9)

  • The National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities (NPA), Office of Minority Health (OMH), African American...
  • United Network Organ for Sharing Data March, 2007 Database (UNOS) Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN)....
  • Modlin CS, Zaramo CEB, Nguyen C: The AUA Update August 2007. Lesson 19, Vol. 26, Linthicum, MD: American Urological...
  • C.O. Callender et al.

    Blacks, whites, and kidney transplantation: a disparity! But why and why won't it go away?

    Trans Rev

    (2007)
There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (0)

View full text