Introduction
Recent media coverage and congressional hearings have spotlighted concerns regarding organ donation in the United States. This may contribute to public mistrust in organ transplant systems, with a reported 20,000 donors removing themselves from the registry in July 2025. Understanding how media coverage correlates with shifts in public opinion is critical to preserving the integrity of the donor registry. The objective of this study is to evaluate public interest in removing oneself from the registry.
Methods
We analyzed nine U.S. media events from 2025, merging media ≤7 days apart and on the same topic into one event. For each event, we pulled Google Trends Relative Search Index (RSI) for search terms related to the removal of organ donor status. Trends were analyzed using a start date 7 days before and 7 days following the release of the media, with the maximum RSI noted post publication (Pre: −7…−1; Post: 0…+6; Max: 0…+7). Common health terms unrelated to transplantation during the same period were used as controls. A spike required Post≥(1.5×Pre) or Max≥(2×Pre), along with no spike in control. When Pre<2 RSI, we used absolute deltas: spike if Δ≥+1.0 and ΔMax≥+2.0. We reviewed and coded media sentiment, as well as themes on social media posts by lay individuals, conducting a thematic analysis.
Results
Among nine media sources, four had a neutral sentiment and five a negative sentiment. Four of five Google Trend spikes for donor registry removal came either the day of or after media when a negative sentiment article was published (Figure 1). Qualitative analysis revealed five key themes among negative media: 1) inequity, 2) public distrust, 3) donor safety, 4) ethical dilemmas, and 5) donor process confusion.
Figures and Tables
Figure 1. Google Trends in Organ Donor Removal Searches following the Publication of Organ Donation News Articles with a Negative Sentiment.
RSI: Relative Search Index.
*Indicates that the Max rule was used to identify a spike.
Conclusion
Our findings highlight the impact of recent negative media coverage on public interest in donor registry removals. It underscores the importance of public education and transparent communication from transplant organizations to mitigate erosion of trust following media crises and the need for rigorous standards surrounding organ donation and allocation. Future research should explore long-term effects on registry enrollment and disenrollment.