The National Transplant Society (NTS) has announced the establishment of a program that will allow organ procurement professionals to use a computerized registry to quickly determine if a potential donor has expressed interest in becoming a donor.
NTS says that the program, called Sign Up For Life!, is the nation's first permanent and continuous national organ and tissue donor registration drive. Under the program, NTS will maintain the National Organ and Tissue Donor Registry, which will be available 24 hours a day.
At NTS's website, www.organdonor.org, Americans will be able-under secure technology--to register their wishes to become an organ donor, and they can write letters to family members to express their wish to become a donor. Organ procurement professionals can use the registry to determine if a patient has registered to become a donor.
"Confirming a donor's intentions is a key element because when families know of their loved one's intent to donate, family consent rates increase in excess of 50 percent," said NTS president Mike Reed in a statement. "We believe a more accessible system for registering donor intent will help narrow the gap between need and organ availability. Establishment of the National Organ and Tissue Donor Registry is a bold move, but it is absolutely necessary in order to increase the number of available organs and tissue, thereby saving more lives."
People interested in registering who do not have a computer can register by calling a toll-free number or by mailing a registration form.
For Your Information:
Visit NTS's website at www.organdonor.org, or call NTS at 312-701-0700.
Please be aware that medical advice, diagnoses and physician references cannot be obtained from this site.