Introduction: Organ transplantation represents a pivotal health challenge globally, with a critical shortage of available organs leading to numerous patient deaths annually. Notably, media initiatives, such as television dramas, have demonstrated efficacy in enhancing organ donation registrations. This study retrospectively examines the influence of a specific TV drama series, centered on organ donation and transplantation themes, on registration numbers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Method: We conducted an analysis of organ donation registration data provided by the Korean Network for Organ Sharing (KONOS) over a three-year span (2020-2022). During this period, a targeted TV drama series aired weekly on Thursdays for 14 weeks in 2021, achieving a notable metropolitan area viewer rating of 16%. Our analysis focused on comparing organ donation registration figures across equivalent weeks for each of the three years under study.
Results: The broadcasting of the TV drama series correlated with a marked uptick in organ donation registrations, relative to the figures from the surrounding years. Specifically, annual registration totals were 67,160 in 2020, 88,865 in 2021 (the year of the broadcast), and 69,439 in 2022. During the drama's airing weeks, the median number of registrations spiked to 2,705 (range: 1,433 to 6,455) in 2021, from 1,054 (range: 357 to 17,960) in 2020, and 1,121 (range: 597 to 1,783) in 2022. The mean registration count throughout these 14 weeks in 2021 significantly exceeded those of the comparative periods in 2020 and 2022 (P<0.001).
Conclusions: This retrospective analysis underscores the impactful role of television dramas in boosting organ donation registrations, even amidst the challenging backdrop of a global pandemic. These findings advocate for leveraging media campaigns, including TV dramas, as a strategic tool to elevate organ donation awareness and registration, thereby potentially increasing the number of lives saved through transplantation.