Experimental and clinical transplantation : official journal of the Middle East Society for Organ Transplantation, 2015
Training on organ donation and transplantation is relevant for transplantation improvement. This ... more Training on organ donation and transplantation is relevant for transplantation improvement. This study aimed at investigating the perceived benefits of Transplant Procurement Management training programs on professional competence development and career evolutions of health care workers in organ donation and transplantation. An online survey was developed in 5 languages (Spanish, English, Italian, French, and Portuguese) and its link was emailed to 6839 individuals. They were asked to forward it to other professionals in organ donation and transplantation. The link was also shared on Facebook and at relevant congresses. Two research questions on the perceived influence of specialized training programs were identified. A total of 1102 participants (16.1%) took the survey; 87% reported participating in Transplant Procurement Management training programs, of which 95% selected Transplant Procurement Management courses as the most influential training they had participated in. For resea...
Progress in transplantation (Aliso Viejo, Calif.), 2008
Clerks at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) serve as gatekeepers in the quest to fill organ ... more Clerks at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) serve as gatekeepers in the quest to fill organ donor registries. Most people who join organ donor registries do so through their local driver's license bureau. To improve knowledge, attitudes, and behavior toward organ donation among DMV clerks, and to improve strategies for communicating with the public about organ donation, resulting in more people joining DMV-based organ donor registries. DMV offices in 8 counties in a southern state. A general survey of 1504 participants in 8 counties was conducted to assess knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors toward organ donation. All 76 DMV clerks in those counties participated in surveys before and after a training intervention. DMV clerks received a 1-hour training intervention focused on the nature of the new organ donor registry, information about organ donation, and communication strategies for interacting with the public. Knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and behavio...
ABSTRACT Consistent with earlier research supporting the use of narratives to increase message pe... more ABSTRACT Consistent with earlier research supporting the use of narratives to increase message persuasiveness, this study examined the role of guilt and happiness following exposure to organ donation narratives presented in professionally produced radio ads. As hypothesized, the loss-frame narrative was significantly associated with heightened guilt, which was related to greater freedom threat perceptions and psychological reactance. Conversely, the loss-frame narrative was negatively associated (p = .06) with increased happiness. Contrary to what was hypothesized, reactance was not significantly negatively associated with favorable attitudes toward registering as an organ donor. Instead, freedom threat was directly negatively related to favorable attitudes. Our results are discussed with an emphasis on the theoretical and practical implications.
This paper applies interpretative phenomenological analysis as a tool to understand ways African ... more This paper applies interpretative phenomenological analysis as a tool to understand ways African American families discuss and make sense of their knowledge, awareness, and commitment of the organ donation process. African American families (n = 20) participated in self-directed conversations based on the organ donor model, which is grounded in the theory of reasoned action and the theory of motivated information management. Results indicate that the media strongly influences an individual's willingness to participate in the organ donation process and their commitment to further discuss their decisions with close family members. Greater attention should be given to cultural-specific campaigns to increase the number of African American donors.
Research has identified several communication strategies that could increase adherence to colorec... more Research has identified several communication strategies that could increase adherence to colorectal cancer screening recommendations. Two promising strategies are tailoring and narrative-based approaches. Tailoring is the personalization of information based on individual characteristics. Narrative-based approaches use stories about similar others to counter perceived barriers and cultivate self-efficacy. To compare these two approaches, a randomized controlled trial was carried out at 8 worksites in Indiana. Adults 50-75 (N = 209) received one of four messages about colorectal cancer screening: stock, narrative, tailored, tailored narrative. The primary outcome was whether participants filed a colonoscopy claim in the 18 months following the intervention. Individuals receiving narrative messages were 4 times more likely to screen than those not receiving narrative messages. Tailoring did not increase screening behavior overall. However, individuals with higher cancer information overload were 8 times more likely to screen if they received tailored messages. The results suggest that narrative-based approaches are more effective than tailoring at increasing colorectal cancer screening in worksite interventions. Tailoring may be valuable as a strategy for reaching individuals with high overload, perhaps as a follow-up effort to a larger communication campaign.
We applied the Health Belief Model (HBM) to better understand perceptions of organ donation among... more We applied the Health Belief Model (HBM) to better understand perceptions of organ donation among African American, Hispanic, and White high school students. We conducted 14 focus groups with 18-year-old students to identify strategies to reach this audience when promoting the First-Person Consent Registry (FPCR) for organ donation. We found that African American, Hispanic, and White high school students are largely unaware of the need for organ donors, and are unfamiliar with how to join the FPCR. Participants identified more barriers to joining the FPCR than benefits. Two aspects of self-efficacy emerged related to joining the FPCR: decisional and task efficacy. Overall, few differences were found with respect to organ donation myths across the three ethnic groups. The results are discussed, with an emphasis on how the findings compare and contrast with previous organ donation research. We focus on message design and dissemination strategies for practitioners targeting 18-year-old high school students with organ donation promotional materials.
The current paper provides readers some clarifications on the nature and goals of mass media camp... more The current paper provides readers some clarifications on the nature and goals of mass media campaigns designed to promote organ donation. These clarifications were necessitated by an earlier essay by Rady et al. (Med Health Care Philos 15:229-241, 2012) who present erroneous claims that media promotion campaigns in this health context represent propaganda that seek to misrepresent the transplantation process. Information is also provided on the nature and relative power of media campaigns in organ donation promotion.
Abstract Previous research revealed that sexually oriented appeals in American advertising had be... more Abstract Previous research revealed that sexually oriented appeals in American advertising had become increasingly explicit through the mid-1980s. This study updates earlier research by assessing images of women and men in magazine ads in 1983 and 1993. Results show that both genders were portrayed more explicitly and through more sexually intimate contact in 1993. Women were three times more likely than men to be portrayed explicitly, but for the first time, images of men were shown to be more explicit in the 1990s, ...
Interviews w e conducted with dealers after the 31-month intervention period to understand their ... more Interviews w e conducted with dealers after the 31-month intervention period to understand their perceptions, any difficulties they experienced as a result of the project and how a similar project could be improved. Comments were analyzed in relation to theories of persuasion. Results indicated that dealers believed the intervention was successful in producing behavior change among some farmers. Dealers also provided important insights into why some farmers continued to resist retrofitting tractors with ROPS. Recommendations are ofered for designers of community-based interventions beyond the ROPS project described here.
African Americans are disproportionately represented on the national waiting list for organ trans... more African Americans are disproportionately represented on the national waiting list for organ transplantation. Promoting organ donor registries is one way to improve the possibility that those on the waiting list can receive a life saving transplant. Driver licensing bureaus have been suggested as an efficient site for campaigns aimed at increasing state-based registry sign-ups. Previous research has suggested these campaigns work well for Caucasian populations, but there is less evidence supporting this approach in more diverse populations. To determine whether more diverse populations demonstrate similar sign-up rates when receiving a driver licensing bureau campaign, the present study used a previously successful strategy as the basis for designing and disseminating materials that would appeal to African Americans and Caucasians in two diverse counties in the state of Michigan (Wayne and Oakland Counties). Communication design and media priming served as the theoretical foundations of a three-prong campaign that used mass media, point-ofdecision, and interpersonal components. Results from countywide and zip code data indicate that the campaign greatly increased sign-ups among African American residents (700% increase above baseline). Although more Caucasians still signed up than did African Americans, the inclusion of an interpersonal component resulted in similar numbers of registry sign-ups during 2 intervention months. The study provides evidence supporting the use of driver licensing bureau campaigns to promote organ donation registries to diverse audiences.
This article advances the beginnings of a general theory of organizational features to aid in und... more This article advances the beginnings of a general theory of organizational features to aid in understanding why health campaigns that work well in one organization may be ineffectual in another organization. The physical, social, and information structures of organizations are theorized to create an interaction environment that is distinct to each organization and that influences health campaigns. To test this argument, an organ donation campaign was conducted in 46 organizations. Multilevel modeling yielded mixed findings. Physical structure was negatively associated with signing an organ donor card. Social structure and information structure were positively associated with communication with coworkers about donation and communicative peer influence. Industry type was positively associated with knowledge change.
In this study, 580 participants viewed one of the 30 full-length entertainment television episode... more In this study, 580 participants viewed one of the 30 full-length entertainment television episodes. Fifteen of these episodes centered on an organ donation storyline (ODS) where facts about the process were portrayed inaccurately; the remaining 15 were matched by program, but did not feature organ donation, and served as controls. Results indicated nondonors were significantly impacted by negative organ-donation-related content. ODSs produced more negative attitudes, less accurate knowledge, and perceptions of social and descriptive norms less supportive of organ donation among nondonors. However, participants who had already declared a willingness to donate organs after death were not significantly impacted by entertainment television's depiction of myths about donation.
The effective targeting of high sensation-seeking adolescents, who are most at risk for drug abus... more The effective targeting of high sensation-seeking adolescents, who are most at risk for drug abuse, requires the creation of high sensation value messages. Whereas previous research has focused on subjective reactions of receivers as the primary way to define message sensation value (MSV), we conceptualize message sensation value as the formal and content features (audio, visual, and format) of a message that contribute to subjective message sensation evaluations. The three objectives of this study were (a) to identify message design features that would aid in the development of effective prevention messages targeting high sensation seekers, (b) to develop an objective measure of message sensation value based on formal and content features of messages, and (c) to determine whether high message sensation value messages were associated with higher subjective evaluations of message sensation value. In the present study, 418 undergraduates each viewed 10 PSAs selected at random from a pool of 109 PSAs that had been previously coded for message sensation value. Analyses provide support for the central hypothesis of the study, indicating that perceived message sensation value is at least in part a product of the formal and content features of a PSA.
While little is known about African Americans' attitudes and knowledge about organ donation, even... more While little is known about African Americans' attitudes and knowledge about organ donation, even less is known about how African Americans' attitudes, values, and beliefs affect their behavior and behavioral intentions regarding organ donation; or how African Americans' views are similar to or different from those of European Americans. Adults working 2 sites of a national corporation were randomly selected to complete a survey about organ donation willingness, intention to sign an organ donor card, knowledge and attitudes toward organ donation, and level of altruism. Results indicate that African Americans differ significantly from Whites on several individual attitude and knowledge items. However, the basic relationship between knowledge, attitudes, values, and behaviors regarding organ donation between the 2 groups appears the same. Furthermore, these results indicate that future organ donation promotion campaigns must focus on increasing basic knowledge and countering myths about organ donation for both populations.
There is a substantial gap between those people in the United States who identify as being favora... more There is a substantial gap between those people in the United States who identify as being favorable toward organ donation (Â90%) and those registered as donors (Â30%). A growing body of evidence suggests Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) offices are effective sites for facilitating higher organ donor registration rates on a national scale.
Farming is the second most hazardous occupation in the U.S. The high mortality rate is due in lar... more Farming is the second most hazardous occupation in the U.S. The high mortality rate is due in large part to farm equipment hazards, particularly tractor overturns. Injuries and deaths associated with tractor overturns could be prevented with the use of a rollover protective structure (ROPS). In spite of the known dangers associated with overturn incidents, farmers are reluctant to retrofit ROPS on older tractors. Few agricultural safety campaigns target the issue of ROPS retrofits, and none have been evaluated systematically. This article reports a study that examines a set of messages that were central to the Community Partners for Healthy Farming project. This study indicates that narrative-based messages and messages incorporating fear appeals are more favorably evaluated by farmers than messages that simply inform farmers or messages that rely on statistics.
While great strides have been made in persuading the public to become potential organ donors, act... more While great strides have been made in persuading the public to become potential organ donors, actual behavior has not yet caught up with the nearly universally favorable attitudes the public expresses toward donation. This paper explores the issue by situating the social marketing of organ donation against a broader backdrop of entertainment and news media coverage of organ donation. Organ
Experimental and clinical transplantation : official journal of the Middle East Society for Organ Transplantation, 2015
Training on organ donation and transplantation is relevant for transplantation improvement. This ... more Training on organ donation and transplantation is relevant for transplantation improvement. This study aimed at investigating the perceived benefits of Transplant Procurement Management training programs on professional competence development and career evolutions of health care workers in organ donation and transplantation. An online survey was developed in 5 languages (Spanish, English, Italian, French, and Portuguese) and its link was emailed to 6839 individuals. They were asked to forward it to other professionals in organ donation and transplantation. The link was also shared on Facebook and at relevant congresses. Two research questions on the perceived influence of specialized training programs were identified. A total of 1102 participants (16.1%) took the survey; 87% reported participating in Transplant Procurement Management training programs, of which 95% selected Transplant Procurement Management courses as the most influential training they had participated in. For resea...
Progress in transplantation (Aliso Viejo, Calif.), 2008
Clerks at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) serve as gatekeepers in the quest to fill organ ... more Clerks at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) serve as gatekeepers in the quest to fill organ donor registries. Most people who join organ donor registries do so through their local driver's license bureau. To improve knowledge, attitudes, and behavior toward organ donation among DMV clerks, and to improve strategies for communicating with the public about organ donation, resulting in more people joining DMV-based organ donor registries. DMV offices in 8 counties in a southern state. A general survey of 1504 participants in 8 counties was conducted to assess knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors toward organ donation. All 76 DMV clerks in those counties participated in surveys before and after a training intervention. DMV clerks received a 1-hour training intervention focused on the nature of the new organ donor registry, information about organ donation, and communication strategies for interacting with the public. Knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and behavio...
ABSTRACT Consistent with earlier research supporting the use of narratives to increase message pe... more ABSTRACT Consistent with earlier research supporting the use of narratives to increase message persuasiveness, this study examined the role of guilt and happiness following exposure to organ donation narratives presented in professionally produced radio ads. As hypothesized, the loss-frame narrative was significantly associated with heightened guilt, which was related to greater freedom threat perceptions and psychological reactance. Conversely, the loss-frame narrative was negatively associated (p = .06) with increased happiness. Contrary to what was hypothesized, reactance was not significantly negatively associated with favorable attitudes toward registering as an organ donor. Instead, freedom threat was directly negatively related to favorable attitudes. Our results are discussed with an emphasis on the theoretical and practical implications.
This paper applies interpretative phenomenological analysis as a tool to understand ways African ... more This paper applies interpretative phenomenological analysis as a tool to understand ways African American families discuss and make sense of their knowledge, awareness, and commitment of the organ donation process. African American families (n = 20) participated in self-directed conversations based on the organ donor model, which is grounded in the theory of reasoned action and the theory of motivated information management. Results indicate that the media strongly influences an individual's willingness to participate in the organ donation process and their commitment to further discuss their decisions with close family members. Greater attention should be given to cultural-specific campaigns to increase the number of African American donors.
Research has identified several communication strategies that could increase adherence to colorec... more Research has identified several communication strategies that could increase adherence to colorectal cancer screening recommendations. Two promising strategies are tailoring and narrative-based approaches. Tailoring is the personalization of information based on individual characteristics. Narrative-based approaches use stories about similar others to counter perceived barriers and cultivate self-efficacy. To compare these two approaches, a randomized controlled trial was carried out at 8 worksites in Indiana. Adults 50-75 (N = 209) received one of four messages about colorectal cancer screening: stock, narrative, tailored, tailored narrative. The primary outcome was whether participants filed a colonoscopy claim in the 18 months following the intervention. Individuals receiving narrative messages were 4 times more likely to screen than those not receiving narrative messages. Tailoring did not increase screening behavior overall. However, individuals with higher cancer information overload were 8 times more likely to screen if they received tailored messages. The results suggest that narrative-based approaches are more effective than tailoring at increasing colorectal cancer screening in worksite interventions. Tailoring may be valuable as a strategy for reaching individuals with high overload, perhaps as a follow-up effort to a larger communication campaign.
We applied the Health Belief Model (HBM) to better understand perceptions of organ donation among... more We applied the Health Belief Model (HBM) to better understand perceptions of organ donation among African American, Hispanic, and White high school students. We conducted 14 focus groups with 18-year-old students to identify strategies to reach this audience when promoting the First-Person Consent Registry (FPCR) for organ donation. We found that African American, Hispanic, and White high school students are largely unaware of the need for organ donors, and are unfamiliar with how to join the FPCR. Participants identified more barriers to joining the FPCR than benefits. Two aspects of self-efficacy emerged related to joining the FPCR: decisional and task efficacy. Overall, few differences were found with respect to organ donation myths across the three ethnic groups. The results are discussed, with an emphasis on how the findings compare and contrast with previous organ donation research. We focus on message design and dissemination strategies for practitioners targeting 18-year-old high school students with organ donation promotional materials.
The current paper provides readers some clarifications on the nature and goals of mass media camp... more The current paper provides readers some clarifications on the nature and goals of mass media campaigns designed to promote organ donation. These clarifications were necessitated by an earlier essay by Rady et al. (Med Health Care Philos 15:229-241, 2012) who present erroneous claims that media promotion campaigns in this health context represent propaganda that seek to misrepresent the transplantation process. Information is also provided on the nature and relative power of media campaigns in organ donation promotion.
Abstract Previous research revealed that sexually oriented appeals in American advertising had be... more Abstract Previous research revealed that sexually oriented appeals in American advertising had become increasingly explicit through the mid-1980s. This study updates earlier research by assessing images of women and men in magazine ads in 1983 and 1993. Results show that both genders were portrayed more explicitly and through more sexually intimate contact in 1993. Women were three times more likely than men to be portrayed explicitly, but for the first time, images of men were shown to be more explicit in the 1990s, ...
Interviews w e conducted with dealers after the 31-month intervention period to understand their ... more Interviews w e conducted with dealers after the 31-month intervention period to understand their perceptions, any difficulties they experienced as a result of the project and how a similar project could be improved. Comments were analyzed in relation to theories of persuasion. Results indicated that dealers believed the intervention was successful in producing behavior change among some farmers. Dealers also provided important insights into why some farmers continued to resist retrofitting tractors with ROPS. Recommendations are ofered for designers of community-based interventions beyond the ROPS project described here.
African Americans are disproportionately represented on the national waiting list for organ trans... more African Americans are disproportionately represented on the national waiting list for organ transplantation. Promoting organ donor registries is one way to improve the possibility that those on the waiting list can receive a life saving transplant. Driver licensing bureaus have been suggested as an efficient site for campaigns aimed at increasing state-based registry sign-ups. Previous research has suggested these campaigns work well for Caucasian populations, but there is less evidence supporting this approach in more diverse populations. To determine whether more diverse populations demonstrate similar sign-up rates when receiving a driver licensing bureau campaign, the present study used a previously successful strategy as the basis for designing and disseminating materials that would appeal to African Americans and Caucasians in two diverse counties in the state of Michigan (Wayne and Oakland Counties). Communication design and media priming served as the theoretical foundations of a three-prong campaign that used mass media, point-ofdecision, and interpersonal components. Results from countywide and zip code data indicate that the campaign greatly increased sign-ups among African American residents (700% increase above baseline). Although more Caucasians still signed up than did African Americans, the inclusion of an interpersonal component resulted in similar numbers of registry sign-ups during 2 intervention months. The study provides evidence supporting the use of driver licensing bureau campaigns to promote organ donation registries to diverse audiences.
This article advances the beginnings of a general theory of organizational features to aid in und... more This article advances the beginnings of a general theory of organizational features to aid in understanding why health campaigns that work well in one organization may be ineffectual in another organization. The physical, social, and information structures of organizations are theorized to create an interaction environment that is distinct to each organization and that influences health campaigns. To test this argument, an organ donation campaign was conducted in 46 organizations. Multilevel modeling yielded mixed findings. Physical structure was negatively associated with signing an organ donor card. Social structure and information structure were positively associated with communication with coworkers about donation and communicative peer influence. Industry type was positively associated with knowledge change.
In this study, 580 participants viewed one of the 30 full-length entertainment television episode... more In this study, 580 participants viewed one of the 30 full-length entertainment television episodes. Fifteen of these episodes centered on an organ donation storyline (ODS) where facts about the process were portrayed inaccurately; the remaining 15 were matched by program, but did not feature organ donation, and served as controls. Results indicated nondonors were significantly impacted by negative organ-donation-related content. ODSs produced more negative attitudes, less accurate knowledge, and perceptions of social and descriptive norms less supportive of organ donation among nondonors. However, participants who had already declared a willingness to donate organs after death were not significantly impacted by entertainment television's depiction of myths about donation.
The effective targeting of high sensation-seeking adolescents, who are most at risk for drug abus... more The effective targeting of high sensation-seeking adolescents, who are most at risk for drug abuse, requires the creation of high sensation value messages. Whereas previous research has focused on subjective reactions of receivers as the primary way to define message sensation value (MSV), we conceptualize message sensation value as the formal and content features (audio, visual, and format) of a message that contribute to subjective message sensation evaluations. The three objectives of this study were (a) to identify message design features that would aid in the development of effective prevention messages targeting high sensation seekers, (b) to develop an objective measure of message sensation value based on formal and content features of messages, and (c) to determine whether high message sensation value messages were associated with higher subjective evaluations of message sensation value. In the present study, 418 undergraduates each viewed 10 PSAs selected at random from a pool of 109 PSAs that had been previously coded for message sensation value. Analyses provide support for the central hypothesis of the study, indicating that perceived message sensation value is at least in part a product of the formal and content features of a PSA.
While little is known about African Americans' attitudes and knowledge about organ donation, even... more While little is known about African Americans' attitudes and knowledge about organ donation, even less is known about how African Americans' attitudes, values, and beliefs affect their behavior and behavioral intentions regarding organ donation; or how African Americans' views are similar to or different from those of European Americans. Adults working 2 sites of a national corporation were randomly selected to complete a survey about organ donation willingness, intention to sign an organ donor card, knowledge and attitudes toward organ donation, and level of altruism. Results indicate that African Americans differ significantly from Whites on several individual attitude and knowledge items. However, the basic relationship between knowledge, attitudes, values, and behaviors regarding organ donation between the 2 groups appears the same. Furthermore, these results indicate that future organ donation promotion campaigns must focus on increasing basic knowledge and countering myths about organ donation for both populations.
There is a substantial gap between those people in the United States who identify as being favora... more There is a substantial gap between those people in the United States who identify as being favorable toward organ donation (Â90%) and those registered as donors (Â30%). A growing body of evidence suggests Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) offices are effective sites for facilitating higher organ donor registration rates on a national scale.
Farming is the second most hazardous occupation in the U.S. The high mortality rate is due in lar... more Farming is the second most hazardous occupation in the U.S. The high mortality rate is due in large part to farm equipment hazards, particularly tractor overturns. Injuries and deaths associated with tractor overturns could be prevented with the use of a rollover protective structure (ROPS). In spite of the known dangers associated with overturn incidents, farmers are reluctant to retrofit ROPS on older tractors. Few agricultural safety campaigns target the issue of ROPS retrofits, and none have been evaluated systematically. This article reports a study that examines a set of messages that were central to the Community Partners for Healthy Farming project. This study indicates that narrative-based messages and messages incorporating fear appeals are more favorably evaluated by farmers than messages that simply inform farmers or messages that rely on statistics.
While great strides have been made in persuading the public to become potential organ donors, act... more While great strides have been made in persuading the public to become potential organ donors, actual behavior has not yet caught up with the nearly universally favorable attitudes the public expresses toward donation. This paper explores the issue by situating the social marketing of organ donation against a broader backdrop of entertainment and news media coverage of organ donation. Organ
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Papers by Susan Morgan