Every year there is a shortage of organ donors in Canada. Canada requires people to choose to be an organ donor and while there is effort to make this easier, it still requires an individual choice. This occurs despite public support for organ donations. ResearchCo tested the idea of reversing the onus on individuals from opting in to opting out. The result, a majority would support active organ donation.

Only 18% think their province should either definitely or probably not implement active donor registration. The results skew considerably in the direction of wanting such a system. The highest response category is definitely should implement (37%). And there is widespread support across standard demographics. Older people are a little more supportive but not much so.

According to ResearchCo, support for active organ donor registration is up since 2019. In 2019, only 63% of Canadians probably or definitely thought it should be the approach.

It is interesting that a large proportion would support a system that automatically assumes that anyone over 18 years should be an organ donor. One can’t help but wonder why? Is it because we recognize that we are not donors but really should be. A question of ethics/ values we want to have. But then why have we not acted on our values? An unwillingness to confront our own mortality? Or is it too easy to post out right now.

I only wish we knew what percentage would opt-out of being organ donors.

Source: ResearchCo Online Survey (August 7 to August 9, 2020, n=1000). Original report