title: Comparing the effects of defaults in organ donation systems.
abstract: The ability of patients in many parts of the world to benefit from transplantation is limited by growing shortages of transplantable organs. The choice architecture of donation systems is said to play a pivotal role in explaining this gap. In this paper we examine the question how different defaults affect the decision to register as organ donor. Three defaults in organ donation systems are compared: mandated choice, presumed consent and explicit consent. Hypothetical choices from a national survey of 2069 respondents in May 2011 in the Netherlands - a country with an explicit consent system - suggests that mandated choice and presumed consent are more effective at generating registered donors than explicit consent.
authors.affiliation: Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute, P.O. Box 11650, NL-2502 AR The Hague, The Netherlands; University of Groningen, P.O. Box 97, NL-9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands; Tilburg University, Tilburg School of Economics and Management (TISEM), CentER, P.O. Box 90153, NL-5000 LE, Tilburg, The Netherlands. Electronic address: dalen@nidi.nl.
authors.forename: Hendrik P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: van Dalen
authors.affiliation: Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute, P.O. Box 11650, NL-2502 AR The Hague, The Netherlands; University of Groningen, P.O. Box 97, NL-9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands; University of Amsterdam, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Oudezijds Achterburgwal 237, NL-1012 DL Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Kène
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Henkens
mesh_terms: D002755:Choice Behavior; D003625:Data Collection; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D009426:Netherlands; D019724:Presumed Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D012042:Registries; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000523:psychology* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*
keywords: Behavioral economics; Defaults; Explicit consent; Mandatory choice; Netherlands; Organ donation