Exploring information provision to promote stem cell donation: Evidence from a field experiment of the Japan Marrow Donor Program

Registered potential donors in stem cell transplantation may refuse to donate when matched with patients, causing supply shortages. To reduce such donor dropout, we developed behavioral interventions comprising messages added into the letters sent when donors are matched with patients in Japan, and conducted a field experiment to evaluate the effect of our intervention. The results demonstrate that the inclusion of our messages can reduce donor dropout and increase donor availability for transplantation. Specifically, the message emphasizing the limited number of compatible donors per patient increased the probability of donors completing the confirmatory typing stage by 7.3%. Since physicians can choose the best donor for proceeding to donation from those who complete confirmatory typing, this message increases donor availability for transplantation.