Since March 18, prospective organ donors in Germany have been able to register online. So far, the transition has proven a resounding success.
Online organ donor register sees successful first month in Germany
In the four weeks since it moved online an impressive 97.858 new people have signed up to Germany’s organ donor register.
Since March 18, 2024, people aged over 16 who live in Germany have been able to complete the registration process online, using their eID residence permit or Personalausweis, email address and ID number for their health insurance.
Organ donors can also amend or rescind their registration entirely by deleting their information from the online registry at any time. From July 1, 2024, clinics responsible for removing organs will be able to search the digital register.
Previously, it was only possible to register your willingness as an organ donor via post, after which you received a physical registration card in return. This offline system will continue to exist in tandem with the new online registry, but it is hoped that the digital system will make it easier for doctors to identify organ donors in medical emergencies.
Organ donor registration possible via health insurance from September
At the moment, there are around 8.400 people in Germany on the organ donation waiting list, but health professionals hope that the move online will streamline the process of finding donors for those waiting.
According to the organ donor register authority, “Practice shows that the organ donor card is often not found in an emergency” and “only 21,2 percent of potential organ donors had a written declaration of organ donation”.
In a further effort to simplify the organ donor registration process and as part of a new law that was introduced in 2020, from September 30 willing donors will also be able to register via their health insurance provider apps.