According to HRSA, 17 people die waiting for an organ transplant each day, and one person is added to the transplant waiting list every 9 minutes. Keep in mind that this is just a record of people who made it to the waitlist; there are so many others who don’t and will pass on.

However, there’s a very dark side to organ transplants. Organ trafficking is a billion-dollar industry selling false hopes to children and vulnerable people in exchange for their organs.

Organ donation should be a selfless act to save lives—a gift of life. Using an organ donation form helps you build a donor registry consisting of willing donors who have explicitly expressed their wishes to donate their organs and ensure that their intentions are carried out. This ensures that people in need of transplants can be matched easily and donors are people who actually want to donate life, not people who are coerced, forced, or exploited.

Let’s look at how to create an organ donor form with a free template to get you started.

What Are Organ Donation Forms and Registry?

Organ donation forms are legal documents that allow people to express their wishes regarding organ and tissue donation after suffering an irrecoverable and devasting injury or illness. In some cases, people don’t have to be at their end of life to donate an organ e.g. kidneys and liver transplants, a living donor who has a compatible blood type mostly family members and friends.

Whether living or deceased donor, healthcare providers need to properly document the donor and their intent to give their organs. to avoid cases of coercion and exploitation. The form typically collects the donor’s personal information, medical history, and a clear statement of intent.

An organ donation registry, on the other hand, is a database that stores information about people who have registered their decision to donate organs and tissues. It enables healthcare providers to identify potential organ donors and match them with people who need the transplant.

Why Are Organ Donation Forms Important?

Organ donation is a noble cause and should done carefully that’s exactly what happens. Here’s how donor registration forms help you do this:

Clarifying Intent

 Organ and tissue donor form ensures that people can clearly state their desire to donate organs and tissues after death. This eliminates any potential confusion or disagreement among family members during the difficult time.

It’s very possible and not rare for the donor’s family members to feel like health providers are not providing the best care for their family members because healthcare providers may be after their organs.

Facilitating the Donation Process

Donor registries also streamline the process of looking for the right fit for people on the waitlist. Healthcare providers can quickly identify potential donors and initiate the organ recovery process, saving valuable time and the organ.

Honoring the Donor’s Wishes to Save Lives

These forms ensure that the donor’s wishes are respected and carried out, providing peace of mind to both the donor and their loved ones when recovering the organ. A single organ donor can save up to eight lives of people waiting for transplants.

Key Tips for Filling Out Organ and Tissue Donation Forms

For people registering to become donors, it’s a noble decision to improve the lives of patients on the waiting list. So, keep the following in mind when filling out the form:

• Be Clear and Specific: When considering the decision to donate, you must indicate the specific organs you want to donate and any limitations or restrictions. The decision to donate is already a noble one, you can decide the specific organs or tissue to donate or not.
• Provide Accurate Information: ensure that all personal information, including name, address, and contact details, is correct. Also, provide accurate medical history, including any significant illnesses or conditions.
• Sign and Date the Form: Before acknowledging people’s intent to donate, you must sign to ensure your consent. This includes their signature and the date of the agreement. In cases of people under 18, there must also be the consent of a parent.
• Review Your Decision Regularly: It is also okay for donors to change their minds about being in the donor registry. So, should constantly review your decision and update the form if life circumstances change and you can no longer donate.
• Discuss the Decision with Loved Ones: Inform your family and friends about your decision to donate organs and tissues. Also,  encourage them to support your wishes; if you don’t there’s a very high chance of them disagreeing with the decision and not honoring your wishes.

Common Uses of Organ Donor Forms

Here is how healthcare providers use organ donor forms:

• Legal Authorization: Hospitals are required by federal law to keep a record of donors and patients who receive their organs. The form is what provides legal authorization for healthcare providers to proceed with organ and tissue donation after death.
• Family Guidance: They can guide families to honor the donor’s wishes during the difficult time after their loved one suffers a devastating injury or illness.
• Medical Record Keeping: They become part of the donor’s medical record, providing essential information for the donation process. In some cases, donors wear a license or ID after becoming an organ donor to be easily identified as one in case of life-ending accidents.
• Matching with Recipients: They help match potential donors with recipients based on medical compatibility and needs.
• Research and Education: They can be used for research purposes to improve organ donation and transplantation practices.

Free Organ Donation Form Template

The Formplus organ donation form template allows you to seamlessly collect information and consent from people who want to save lives by becoming a donor. Here’s how to use it:

• Go to Organ donation form template
• Log in or sign up with Formplus if you don’t have an account.
• Edit the form questions to fit your donor registry requirements. The template covers most of the questions you need but check to ensure you’re not missing any important details, and add them if you spot them.
• You can also add conditional logic to show or hide specific questions based on a previous answer.
• Ensure you add the signature field to indicate the donor’s consent.
• Customize your form design by adjusting colors, fonts, and layout to match your organization’s branding.
• Click on preview to see how the form appears on different devices- desktop, mobile, and tab.
• Share the form with potential donors by creating a QR code, embedding it on your website, or printing a physical copy for walk-in donors.

Save Lives With Formplus

Organ donation forms protect and encourage anyone considering the decision- they collect the health and medical history of donors and ensure they have the veto power to make the final decision about the specifics of the donation process.

Donor forms create registries that streamline the process of finding donors for patients on the waiting list, making the matching process more efficient, and saving more lives. Here’s a free organ donor template to get you started on saving lives.