A Randomized Trial of Theory-Informed Appeals for Organ Donor Registration Using Internet Advertisements

What is said about #donateliver or #liverdonor? Reflexive thematic analysis of Twitter (X) posts from 2012 to 2022

BACKGROUND

There is sustained interest in understanding the perspectives of liver transplant recipients and living donors, with several qualitative studies shedding light on this emotionally charged subject. However, these studies have relied primarily on traditional semi-structured interviews, which, while valuable, come with inherent limitations. Consequently, there remains a gap in our comprehension of the broader public discourse surrounding living liver donation. This study aims to bridge this gap by delving into public conversations related to living liver donation through a qualitative analysis of Twitter (now X) posts, offering a fresh perspective on this critical issue.

METHODS

To compile a comprehensive dataset, we extracted original tweets containing the hashtags "#donateliver" OR "#liverdonor", all posted in English from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2022. We then selected tweets from individual users whose Twitter (X) accounts featured authentic human names, ensuring the credibility of our data. Employing Braun and Clarke's reflexive thematic analysis approach, the study investigators read and analysed the included tweets, identifying two main themes and six subthemes. The Health Policy Triangle framework was applied to understand the roles of different stakeholders involved in the discourse and suggest areas for policy improvement.

RESULTS

A total of 361 unique tweets from individual users were analysed. The major theme that emerged was the persistent shortage of liver donors, underscoring the desperation faced by individuals in need of life-saving liver transplants and the urgency of addressing the organ shortage problem. The second theme delved into the experiences of liver donors post-surgery, shedding light on a variety of aspects related to the transplantation process, including the visibility of surgical scars, and the significance of returning to physical activity and exercise post-surgery.

CONCLUSION

The multifaceted experiences of individuals involved in the transplantation process, both recipients and donors, should be further studied in our efforts to improve the critical shortage of liver donors.

Newspaper Campaign to Promote Deceased Organ Donation: Who Can Appeal to the General Japanese Population?

BACKGROUND

Various interventions are reportedly effective in promoting organ donor registration. However, the identity of those who best serve as presenters to appeal to the general public is not known.

METHODS

A campaign for organ donor registration was conducted through a local newspaper advertisement in Japan. The advertisement appeared in 439,733 copies of the newspaper on January 9, 2021. In addition to the main message, 6 different presenters with photos of their faces and quick response codes were listed in the advertisement, namely a urologist, transplant physician, nephrologist, dialysis physician, ophthalmologist, and kidney transplant recipient who was a nephrologist himself (ie, a recipient and nephrologist). Newspaper readers watched each video about deceased organ donation via the quick response codes, and the number of video views acquired 30 days after the appearance was the main outcome, which was assessed using YouTube analytics. The proportions (95% CI) of people who watched each video among 439,733 newspaper readers were compared among the 6 presenters.

RESULTS

The analyzed videos were viewed 262 times. The video produced by the recipient and nephrologist had the highest number of views among the 6 presenters (proportion: 0.019% [95% CI, 0.015-0.023]), followed by the one produced by the dialysis physician (0.011% [95% CI, 0.008-0.014]), the nephrologist (0.010% [95% CI, 0.007-0.014]), the urologist (0.008% [95% CI, 0.006-0.012]), the transplant physician (0.006% [95% CI, 0.004-0.009]), and the ophthalmologist (0.005% [95% CI, 0.004-0.008]).

CONCLUSIONS

The appeal by the recipient and the nephrologist reached the highest proportion of people who watched the video about deceased organ donation in Japan.