Hollywood, You Can Help!

It’s true, says Donate Life Hollywood, a character on The Young and the Restless is soon to become an organ donor.  Working to educate and help screen writers “get it right,” our colleagues at Donate Life Hollywood praise the PSA at the end of one of the episodes encouraging people to Donate Life as “well done.”

Misperceptions, sometimes suggested or strengthened by TV dramas, continue to serve as barriers preventing the public from registering as donors.  People who are undecided about registering as a donor are most vulnerable to the influence of what they view.

A 2009 online survey for Donate Life America revealed 51% of people who are undecided about donation incorrectly believe doctors may not try as hard to save their lives, or are unsure they will, if they know their patient wishes to be a donor.

The sources of this misperception likely are varied, but I’m interested in whether you think it reflects a lack of education about the donation and transplantation process or a general distrust of the medical system. Secondly, how can we correct this misperception and effectively convey the message the “doctor’s priority is to save your life?”