title: Attitudes toward strategies to increase organ donation: views of the general public and health professionals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The acceptability of financial incentives for organ donation is contentious. This study sought to determine (1) the acceptability of expense reimbursement or financial incentives by the general public, health professionals involved with organ donation and transplantation, and those with or affected by kidney disease and (2) for the public, whether financial incentives would alter their willingness to consider donation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Web-based survey administered to members of the Canadian public, health professionals, and people with or affected by kidney disease asking questions regarding acceptability of strategies to increase living and deceased kidney donation and willingness to donate a kidney under various financial incentives.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Responses were collected from 2004 members of the Canadian public October 11-18, 2011; responses from health professionals (n=339) and people with or affected by kidney disease (n=268) were collected during a 4-week period commencing October 11, 2011. Acceptability of one or more financial incentives to increase deceased and living donation was noted in >70% and 40% of all groups, respectively. Support for monetary payment for living donors was 45%, 14%, and 27% for the public, health professionals, and people with or affected by kidney disease, respectively. Overall, reimbursement of funeral expenses for deceased donors and a tax break for living donors were the most acceptable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The general public views regulated financial incentives for living and deceased donation to be acceptable. Future research needs to examine the impact of financial incentives on rates of deceased and living donors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Lianne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barnieh
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Klarenbach
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Caulfield
authors.forename: Braden
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Manns
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002170:Canada; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology; D019520:Living Donors / Q000600:supply & distribution; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D011639:Public Opinion; D012201:Reward; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000191:economics* / Q000941:ethics / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult