Message must change to attract new blood and organ donors: study

With a shortage of both blood and organ donors, Queensland researchers are suggesting language used to attract donors be changed, because the current generation aren’t responding to the “gift of life” message.

THE woke generation is not motivated by the message that organ and blood donation gives the “gift of life” and the long standing message should be changed to “it’s your social obligation”, Queensland researchers have found.

With a shortage of both blood and organ donors, Queensland University of Technology researchers are suggesting language used to attract donors be changed, especially for organ donation.

QUT behavioural economists Dr Stephen Whyte, Dr Ho Fai Chan and Professor Benno Torgler, along with Dr Karin Hammarberg from Monash University, compared responses from more than 1000 people who participated in an online survey looking at the reasons given for the donation decision given by blood and/or registered organ donors versus non-donors.

Their findings have been published online at PLOS One.

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In Australia organ donation registration is costless and requires ticking a box during driver’s license renewal or completing tax return. Consent to be an organ and tissue donor is recorded on the Australian Organ Donor Register, which can be altered at any time. Blood donation takes more effort as it requires individuals to attend a blood donation facility for an extended period.

“We categorised the responses based on five dimensions of language choice — egocentric, social, moral, positively emotional, and negatively emotional,” said Dr Whyte.

“The spirit of philanthropy is stronger than ever in the very trying times society faces at present, whether in Australia or overseas, and there are many people making a variety of donations. While we know a lot about what has motivated people to donate blood or register as an organ donor, we don’t know a lot about why individuals continue to choose not to. Yet most people do not and never will donate,” he said.

“There’s no doubt that donation (whether its blood or organ donation) saves lives. What’s interesting about our study though is that it appears motivating people by telling them their donation saves lives only seems to work in increasing blood donor numbers, not organ donors.

While many not-for-profit organisations regularly use the term ‘the gift of life’ as an emotional hook, the impact on potential blood donors is much more positive than potential organ donors.

“In fact, there is significant debate on whether altruism is the major motive underlying any donation. Individuals may instead be driven by a more general preference for morality and ‘doing the right thing’ in the eyes of others,” Dr Whyte said.