Organbook: Use Facebook to talk about organ donation

Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing Catherine King joined with Facebook to launch a way for Australians to start a conversation about their wish to become an organ and tissue donor.

“Australians can now indicate that they have registered as an organ and tissue donor on their Facebook Timeline. This information will appear in the news feeds of their Facebook friends which can help to start a conversation about their organ and tissue donation wishes,” Ms King said.

“It is vital that all Australian families know each other’s’ donation wishes as the family will always be asked to confirm the organ and tissue donation wishes of the deceased before donation for transplantation can proceed. With new research commissioned by the Organ and Tissue Authority showing that one in four Australians have never discussed their donation wishes, finding new ways to prompt the conversation is important,” said Ms King.

Facebook is an important tool for increasing awareness of organ and tissue donation, with the DonateLife Facebook page now having close to 50,000 fans. Australians are increasingly sharing their organ and tissue donation and transplantation stories and asking questions about organ and tissue donation on the DonateLife Facebook page.

To indicate you are a registered organ and tissue donor on your Facebook Timeline, click on “Life Event”, select “Health and Wellness” and choose “organ donor”. And if you have not registered on the Australian Organ Donor Register, make sure to click on the “sign up here with the appropriate registry” link to make your decision to be an organ and tissue donor official.

“The Facebook Timeline does not replace the need for Australians to register their decision to become an organ and tissue donor on the Australian Organ Donor Register (AODR), Australia’s only nationally recognised register for organ and tissue donation for transplantation,” said Ms King.

The AODR ensures your donation decision can be verified 24 hours a day, seven days a week by authorised medical personnel, anywhere in Australia.

Chief Operating Officer of Facebook Sheryl Sandberg said, “What’s consistently amazed us over the past eight years is how people use the power of sharing and connecting on Facebook to address issues and challenges in their communities. We believe that the new organ donor tool can help drive broader awareness about organ and tissue donation and prompt more families to discuss their donation wishes.”

Facebook users choose whether to share this information about their organ and tissue donation wishes and also how widely or narrowly to share it. Australians can share their intention to become an organ donor with just their friends, with their friends of friends, with an even wider audience, or they can choose to keep this information private.

(Source: Department of Health and Aging)