Is completion of advanced care directives associated with willingness to donate?
The public is generally supportive of organ donation although African Americans remain less willing to donate after controlling for confounding variables. Physicians interested in increasing donation rates should consider incorporating organ donation into discussions of advance care planning and end-of-life care.
An intervention aimed at explaining the ethical principles and the definition of DNR orders improves understanding of them, and their implementation, as well as patient participation. Specific efforts are needed to increase the involvement of mentally competent patients in the decision.