Use of an eligibility checklist on arrival of emergency room as a registry system for corneal donation-A 9-year retrospective cohort study.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate whether the use of an eligibility checklist uncovered potential corneal donors among deceased outpatients and increased the donation.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we applied the eligibility checklist to nearly all outpatients (age ≥ 18 y/o) who were transferred to our emergency department and identified as deceased between 2012 and 2020. Whether the use of the checklist contributed to the increase in corneal donation was examined, and the reasons for refusal of the donation were also evaluated. Furthermore, yearly changes in the number of the donation were assessed, with the data obtained before initiation of the checklist in 2010-2011 as references. The primary outcome was the number of corneal donors, with yearly changes in donation numbers assessed using data from 2010 to 2011 as a reference before the checklist was introduced.

Results: Among 1776 outpatients to whom the eligibility checklist was applied, 1169 patients were regarded as potential donors. Of them, 126 families gave consent and 80 patients finally donated cornea; medical diseases as a cause of death were less likely to retract donation offer (OR = 0.31 [95% CI: 0.09-0.99]). The number of corneal donors in 2010-2011 corresponded to 1.6% of the deceased outpatients but increased since the checklist was introduced the total number of donors reached 87 (4.3%) during 2012-2020.

Conclusion: A routine use of the eligibility checklist at the initial interview will reinforce the awareness of corneal donation among the families of patients and contribute to the increased number of corneal donors.