The power of an immediate donor registration opportunity: translating organ donation attitudes into registration behavior

In Australia, despite numerous campaigns encouraging the registration of organ donation intentions on a National Organ Donor Register, registration remains low. This disparity was investigated by examining the relationship between positive and negative donation attitudes, an immediate versus a delayed registration opportunity, and registration. In a community setting, 200 participants completed a short version of the Organ Donation Attitude Scale and were given either an immediate or delayed opportunity to register. In the immediate condition, 60% registered against 11.6% in the delayed condition despite participants in both conditions having similar attitude profiles, suggesting that attitudes were facilitated or obstructed by the registration opportunity.