Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 21 November 2003:
Vol. 302. no. 5649, pp. 1338 - 1339
DOI: 10.1126/science.1091721
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Policy Forum

MEDICINE:
Do Defaults Save Lives?

Eric J. Johnson* and Daniel Goldstein

Default options can lead to striking differences in preferences, with significant economic impact. The authors of this Policy Forum use natural and experimental data to examine the impact of simple policy defaults on the decision to become an organ donor, finding large effects that significantly increase donation rates.

The authors are at the Center for Decision Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.

*To whom all correspondence should be addressed: ejj3@columbia.edu

Read the Full Text


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
An Account of Collective Actions in Public Health.
G. Siegal, N. Siegal, and R. J. Bonnie (2009)
Am J Public Health 99, 1583-1587
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Donation after Uncontrolled Cardiac Death (uDCD): A Review of the Debate from a European Perspective..
P. Borry, W. Van Reusel, L. Roels, and P. Schotsmans (2008)
J. Law Med. Ethics 36, 752-759
   PDF »
Psychological Influence in Negotiation: An Introduction Long Overdue.
D. Malhotra and M. H. Bazerman (2008)
Journal of Management 34, 509-531
   Abstract »    PDF »
Assessing the Feasibility and Impact of Federal Childhood Obesity Policies.
V. L. Brescoll, R. Kersh, and K. D. Brownell (2008)
The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 615, 178-194
   Abstract »    PDF »
The Default Effect in End-of-Life Medical Treatment Preferences.
L. M. Kressel and G. B. Chapman (2007)
Med Decis Making 27, 299-310
   Abstract »    PDF »
Systematic Review: The Long-Term Effects of False-Positive Mammograms.
N. T. Brewer, T. Salz, and S. E. Lillie (2007)
Ann Intern Med 146, 502-510
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Routine Recovery of Cadaveric Organs for Transplantation: Consistent, Fair, and Life-Saving.
A. Spital and J. S. Taylor (2007)
Clin. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 2, 300-303
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
A Survey Study of Factors Influencing Risk-Taking Behavior in Real-World Decisions Under Uncertainty.
M. Baucells and C. Rata (2006)
Decision Analysis 3, 163-176
   Abstract »    PDF »
Closing the Organ Gap: A Reciprocity-Based Social Contract Approach.
G. Siegal and R. J. Bonnie (2006)
J. Law Med. Ethics 34, 415-423
   PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)