Reasons to Donate: A Mixed-Methods Experimental Vignette Study of Willingness to Become a Living Kidney Donor

Jonathan Daw , Pennsylvania State University
Ashton Verdery, Pennsylvania State University
Selena Ortiz, Pennsylvania State University
Nathaniel Porter, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Anne Morse, Pennsylvania State University
Diego Aguilar, Pennsylvania State University

Living donor kidney transplants (LDKTs) are the optimal therapy for patients with end-stage renal disease, but only 15% of transplant candidates receive an LDKT, a figure is subject to extreme racial/ethnic disparities. To date, one largely neglected research question is how potential donors make decisions about living kidney donation. To address this gap and help develop interventions to promote LDKT, we conducted a series of experimental vignette surveys using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk platform. In these survey experiments, we manipulate donation scenarios and the potential recipient chosen from the respondent’s network, then ask respondents to rate their willingness to be a living donor and explain this rating in words. Using these data, we analyze the association of experimental variables with willingness to donate; describe the reasons give to explain their response; and use these responses to build a verbal script designed to assist transplant candidates when initiating conversations with potential donors.

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 Presented in Session 40. Race, Discrimination, and Health