Exploring the relationship of hospital and market characteristics and organ donation in U.S. hospitals.

Unmet demand for organ transplantation is, in part, a result of low rates of organ donation. While the transplant community works diligently to improve rates of organ donation, patients on waiting lists for transplantation continue to die. This article reviews factors that are associated with rates of organ donation at U.S. hospitals. We analyzed two years of data on the numbers of actual and potential donors at U.S. hospitals to discern whether hospital or market attributes are directly related to a hospital's rate of securing organ donations. We found that certain hospital characteristics are related to higher donation rates. Further research and a deeper understanding of organizational and environmental influences on the complex nature of securing organ donations are needed to help alleviate transplantation waiting lists.