The study analyzes left digit bias in organ donors entering a new decade of aging

The study analyzes left digit bias in organ donors entering a new decade of aging

American transplant centers, as well as organ procurement organizations responsible for collecting organs from deceased donors in the United States, were less likely to accept or select organs from donors who were 70 years old when they died, compared to those who were 69 years old, new research found.

This is an example of left digit bias, a common type of unconscious bias in which value is based on the first digit of a number and is therefore often associated with ageism.

A previous study had shown that this type of bias is present when organizations decide whether or not to discard donor kidneys. Clare E. Jacobson, MD, a general surgeon at University of Michigan Health, was curious whether the bias would still exist if the research included all organ types.

Donor organs are a life-saving resource, but there are many more people on the waiting list than organs available. We were interested in exploring how we could make small changes to optimize our current supply of deceased donor organs, with the goal of both serving patients on the waiting list and honoring the gift of life these donors provide.”

Clare E. Jacobson, co-first author of the study and general surgery resident, University of Michigan Health

Using data from the United Network for Organ Sharing, the nonprofit that manages the nation's organ transplant system, Jacobson and her research team found that both OPOs and transplant centers, regardless of type, are about 5% less likely to select organs for older people 70 versus 69. The results suggest that about 1 in 18 donors who are 70 years or older do not have organs selected for transplant, Jacobson said.

“This demonstrated bias is not limited to a single transplant center, OPO, or even step in the transplant process and is seen across all organ types,” Jacobson said. “In our role as stewards of these gifted organs and for all patients awaiting a transplant, interventions must address every step in the transplant process to overcome our biased thinking.”

Of note: Left-handed bias was not significant when comparing organ acceptance and selection rates for donors who were 60 years old versus 59, the researchers found. This could be because age is weighed less heavily in younger organ donors compared to metrics such as the donor's weight, blood work and other health problems, Jacobson said.

Additional authors include Craig S. Brown and Seth A. Waits, both of Michigan Medicine, and Kyle H. Sheetz of the University of California, San Francisco.

Source:

Michigan Medicine – University of Michigan

Reference:

Jacobson, C.E., et al. (2022) Left digit bias in the selection and acceptance of deceased donor organs. The American Journal of Surgery. doi.org/10.1016/j.amjsurg.2022.03.039.

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