The impact of race on organ donation authorization discussed in the context of liver transplantation.

Inadequate organ donation limits transplantation for many in need of a life-saving organ. Race of donor families and requesting coordinators may impact the authorization rate for organ donation. We evaluated authorization rates for organ donation within the New York Organ Donor Network by race during 2009 and 2010. The donation authorization rate varied considerably according to the race of the donor. The authorization rate was 57% for Hispanic, 53% for Caucasian, 48% for African-American, and 23% for Asian donor families. Fifty-five percent of donor families agreed to donation when there was racial concordance between coordinator and donor. Donation authorization was 49% when a racial mis-match existed. When adjusted for coordinator training and experience, racial discordance had a lesser impact on authorization rates. Our findings suggest the need for education and communication strategies to overcome racial-associated perception during the organ donation process.