# Increasing Minority Population Awareness through Community Teaching for Improved Organ Donation (IMPACT for Improved Organ Donation)

> **NIH NIH R01** · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2020 · $240,000

## Abstract

Abstract
Organ donation rates in the United States continue to fall far short of the needs of patients with
end stage renal and liver disease. While New York represents about 10% of the national waitlist,
it ranks 50th of 50 states for organ donor registration rates currently. The Asian community is the
fastest growing minority population in the country and is the group with the largest disparity in
the demand and supply of organs of any racial/ethnic group. Queens County, NY, which is one
of the most densely populated and most diverse areas in the country is over 25% Asian but has
one of the lowest donor registration rates in the country (13% vs national average of 52%
currently). Understanding the cultural, logistical and other barriers to donor registration among
Asian Americans is essential to improve organ donor registration in this group. Increasing
knowledge and awareness about organ donation and transplantation and improving organ
donor registration rates are strongly associated with subsequent organ donation. Our grant
proposes to: 1) develop an understanding of the barriers to registration and donation among
Asians in Flushing, Queens; 2) utilize the resources of the New York Presbyterian-Columbia
Asian Health Program (NYP-CAHP) and; 3) capitalize on their existing relationship with the
Asian community and community physicians in Flushing to accomplish our goals that include
increasing knowledge of organ donation and registration, influencing intent to register as a
donor, and increasing actual donor registration rates. We will use a mixed methods approach to
develop an understanding of the barriers to registration as an organ donor among Asian
physicians and patients. The information gained from this effort will be used to develop print and
multimedia educational curricula for physicians and patients that is tailored to the cognitive,
cultural, religious, linguistic, and pragmatic barriers identified. The materials will then be
introduced to the Chinese population followed by the Korean. Individual education and patient
educational materials will be provided to the physicians at Flushing practices to increase the
ability of physicians to respond to patient-initiated conversation about organ donation thereby
ensuring a sustainable long-term impact of our enduring educational material. Patient education
will be conducted at NYP-CAHP physician partner sites and will include the opportunity to
complete an organ donor registration form immediately following a one-on-one educational
session delivered by a bicultural/multilingual research team member. Widespread dissemination
of our education materials to the 10 other regions in the country that have large Asian
populations and low donor registration rates will positively impact donor registration nationally.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9920711
- **Project number:** 5R01DK114893-04
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** Sumit Mohan
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $240,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-08-01 → 2022-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9920711

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9920711, Increasing Minority Population Awareness through Community Teaching for Improved Organ Donation (IMPACT for Improved Organ Donation) (5R01DK114893-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9920711. Licensed CC0.

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