Effect of Web-Based Training for Department of Motor Vehicle Staff on Donor Designation Rates: Results of a Statewide Randomized Trial
Degenholtz HB, Resnick A, et alAmerican Journal of Transplantation 2015; 15(5): 1376-1383.
Aims
To develop and test whether a web based training for Department of Motor Vehicle Staff will increase donor designation rates.
Interventions
A web based training for motor vehicle staff versus no training
Participants
Nineteen driver centres across West Virginia
Outcomes
The primary endpoint was the proportion of customers who registered as organ donors. The association of transaction type, license type, demographic characteristics and health indicators was also examined.
Follow-up
30 months
CET Conclusions
This is a well conducted and well reported study. It assessed the impact of web-based training for department of motor vehicle (DMV) staff in increasing customer registration as organ donors. The program was designed to address the knowledge deficit about organ donation rather than promote the registry. Driving license centres were randomised, and training was completed by staff individually. Over 1 million staff-customer interactions were included in the multivariate data analysis. The results showed the web-based training for staff could an increase customer sign-up by 7%, even with just 70% of customer support workers having completed the training during the statewide phase of the study. As DMV offices serve as the primary entry point for the organ donor register and have very high annual customer turnover, this should be considered a valuable increase. Translating this to actual donations is of course difficult and the lifetime probability of becoming a donor is low. Cost-effectiveness of this relatively cheap intervention is assessed however, and is clearly favorable due to the low ongoing costs. The effect size of the intervention is also compared favorably to other outreach programs and public education schemes. A publicly available version of the course is available at: www.donatelifedmvtraining.pitt.edu
Data analysis
Per protocol analysis
Trial registration
None