To increase the level of participation of the public and health care professional in the donor process. Emphasis will be placed on increasing participation in minority populations to bring them to a level proportional to their distribution in the population of the overall study group. The long term goal of this research is to increase the number of cadaver organs available by improving understanding of the donation process. This proposal describes the maintenance and expansion of the Louisiana Donor Registry (LADR)/informational system, established in the previous study period. The LADR is a roster of living wills, which hold the actual records of each donor. This registry is unique as it includes into a single database all organ, blood, bone marrow, and tissue donation. Secondarily, the LADR is part of an outreach program to enlist community support to diminish the organ donor shortage. The LADR augments the donor process by providing the endorsement of the community which supports the clinical organ recovery program. This registry documents an individual's intention to donate organs/tissue, at the time of death. The registration of pre-enrolled donors is a mechanism used to increase donation, identify donors, ensure that all reasonable measures are taken to fulfill the intent of the donor, and to fully realize the support for donation. This proposal describes several new strategies and changes for the LADR program. These changes are: 1) the addition of a code system, 2) tracking the impact of educational and promotional programs; 3) coordinating the consolidation of the various state donor recruitment programs to enroll donors; 4) new promotional and educational programs about donation; 5) dedicated personnel to increase donation in minority populations; 6) early intervention in the care and management of potential donors; 7) the investigation of the motivations and understanding of those who choose to participate and those who choose not to participate in the donor process; 8) a strategy to """"""""re-approach"""""""" those who initially deny consent; 9) integration of the LADR into all medical practice; and 10) evaluate a new preservation model to possibly salvage organs previously discarded.
