European Union reports indicate that those countries with a better attitude towards donation do not necessarily have higher deceased donation rates, nor do they necessarily have lower rates of refusal from families. Further, there is no evidence in the medical literature indicating that mass media action is able to positively influence the attitude of the public to increase donation rates effectively. On the contrary, there is growing evidence that the practical impact of certain mass media campaigns are negligible and that the cost-effectiveness ratio is very high. For example, the Australian Kidney Foundation (AKF) carried out a national survey in 1987 assessing the general public’s knowledge about organ donation and transplantation. Two years later AKF screened TV ads highlighting the need for organ donation over a period of 6 –12 months. The follow-up survey, undertaken in 1990, showed unchanged opinions in the community.

Source: Organ Donation, Transplantation, and Mass Media. R. Matesanz. Transplantation Proceedings, 35, 987–989 (2002)