The Role of Specifically Tailored Communication Training Among Factors Influencing Consent for Cornea Donation Requested Via Telephone

Consent for cornea donation from non–heart-beating donors is often requested by means of telephone interviews with relatives of the deceased. The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of specifically tailored interviewer communications training among other factors related to obtaining consent. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of consent requests made by the Aachen Cornea Bank was performed. Interviews were conducted via telephone by 26 ophthalmic residents or fellows in accordance with German and European laws and guidelines. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify factors related to the consent. Results were expressed as odds ratios (OR), 95% confidence interval (95% CI), and Wald P value. RESULTS: In 1694 interviews, the overall consent rate was 50.12%. Multivariate analysis identified 4 significant factors associated with the donation decision. Completion of a specific communication training seminar increased odds of consent by 1.533 (95% CI, 1.250-1.880; P < 0.0001). The individual interviewer had an impact on the OR of up to 1.255 (95% CI, 1.113-1.417; P = 0.0002). The odds for consent were inversely correlated with the clinical experience of the interviewer (OR, 0.884; 95% CI, 0.831-0.938; P < 0.0001). The consulted family member was 0.894 times less likely to grant consent for donation with each increase in degree of blood relation (95% CI, 0.849-0.940; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: A telephone interview is effective for obtaining consent for cornea donation. The consent decision may be associated with factors relating to the interviewer as well as the consulted family member. Specific training for cornea bank staff may increase the odds of obtaining consent.