UI Foundation plans to solicit donations from patients

Register as an outpatient at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and expect to be asked your name, insurance info and if you would like to be contacted about donating money.

The donor program, known as philanthropic contact consent, has not yet started at the UI's 200-plus outpatient clinics but could this winter, spokesman Tom Moore said.

Moore called the proposed program a low-key, no-obligation approach, but a medical privacy advocate said the practice is coercive to patients.

“They're in a vulnerable position, and they may feel like they can't say no,” said Dr. Deborah Peel, founder of Patient Privacy Rights, a national watchdog group. “One party is sick and scared ... and they don't want to say ‘no' to the system they're dependent on for living.”

Under the program, patients will receive a letter at registration from Jean Robillard, UI vice president for medical affairs, and a form that authorizes the UI Foundation to contact them about donating money to the hospital. Patients who do not want to receive the information in the future have to sign a form to opt out.

Moore said the program does not violate patient privacy laws. “We can't just contact patients without receiving their consent in advance,” he said.

Peel said the better approach is a communitywide appeal, and “the people who are grateful will want to give freely.”

Moore said doctors and other health care staff don't know who agrees to participate or not. “It has no impact on the care they receive,” he said.

Patients using Medicaid or IowaCare will not be given the information.

Moore also said the program is not in response to budget cuts. The UI will be forced to cut $25 million as part of a 10 percent across-the-board state budget cut.

Because the UI Foundation is a separate entity, the program does not need approval from the Iowa Board of Regents.

Moore said the idea was based on programs at other hospitals. Three of those he cited, however - the University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania and Mayo Clinic - said they had no such system in place.

Mayo spokesman Karl Oestreich said, however, that about 80 percent of Mayo's benefactors are patients.

Since 2003, the Cleveland Clinic has used an opt-in form after patients are asked if they would like information about a particular area of philanthropic interest, spokeswoman Erinne Dyer said.

Moore said, nationally, more than 80 percent of the average support contributed to medical schools and teaching hospitals is by people unaffiliated with the institution. Most of those are likely patients, he said.

The UI's support was 76 percent in 2007.

Register as an outpatient at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and expect to be asked your name, insurance info and if you would like to be contacted about donating money.

The donor program, known as philanthropic contact consent, has not yet started at the UI's 200-plus outpatient clinics but could this winter, spokesman Tom Moore said.

Moore called the proposed program a low-key, no-obligation approach, but a medical privacy advocate said the practice is coercive to patients.

“They're in a vulnerable position, and they may feel like they can't say no,” said Dr. Deborah Peel, founder of Patient Privacy Rights, a national watchdog group. “One party is sick and scared ... and they don't want to say ‘no' to the system they're dependent on for living.”

Under the program, patients will receive a letter at registration from Jean Robillard, UI vice president for medical affairs, and a form that authorizes the UI Foundation to contact them about donating money to the hospital. Patients who do not want to receive the information in the future have to sign a form to opt out.

Moore said the program does not violate patient privacy laws. “We can't just contact patients without receiving their consent in advance,” he said.

Peel said the better approach is a communitywide appeal, and “the people who are grateful will want to give freely.”

Moore said doctors and other health care staff don't know who agrees to participate or not. “It has no impact on the care they receive,” he said.

Patients using Medicaid or IowaCare will not be given the information.

Moore also said the program is not in response to budget cuts. The UI will be forced to cut $25 million as part of a 10 percent across-the-board state budget cut.

Because the UI Foundation is a separate entity, the program does not need approval from the Iowa Board of Regents.

Moore said the idea was based on programs at other hospitals. Three of those he cited, however - the University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania and Mayo Clinic - said they had no such system in place.

Mayo spokesman Karl Oestreich said, however, that about 80 percent of Mayo's benefactors are patients.

Since 2003, the Cleveland Clinic has used an opt-in form after patients are asked if they would like information about a particular area of philanthropic interest, spokeswoman Erinne Dyer said.

Moore said, nationally, more than 80 percent of the average support contributed to medical schools and teaching hospitals is by people unaffiliated with the institution. Most of those are likely patients, he said.

The UI's support was 76 percent in 2007.Register as an outpatient at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and expect to be asked your name, insurance info and if you would like to be contacted about donating money.

The donor program, known as philanthropic contact consent, has not yet started at the UI's 200-plus outpatient clinics but could this winter, spokesman Tom Moore said.

Moore called the proposed program a low-key, no-obligation approach, but a medical privacy advocate said the practice is coercive to patients.

“They're in a vulnerable position, and they may feel like they can't say no,” said Dr. Deborah Peel, founder of Patient Privacy Rights, a national watchdog group. “One party is sick and scared ... and they don't want to say ‘no' to the system they're dependent on for living.”

Under the program, patients will receive a letter at registration from Jean Robillard, UI vice president for medical affairs, and a form that authorizes the UI Foundation to contact them about donating money to the hospital. Patients who do not want to receive the information in the future have to sign a form to opt out.

Moore said the program does not violate patient privacy laws. “We can't just contact patients without receiving their consent in advance,” he said.

Peel said the better approach is a communitywide appeal, and “the people who are grateful will want to give freely.”

Moore said doctors and other health care staff don't know who agrees to participate or not. “It has no impact on the care they receive,” he said.

Patients using Medicaid or IowaCare will not be given the information.

Moore also said the program is not in response to budget cuts. The UI will be forced to cut $25 million as part of a 10 percent across-the-board state budget cut.

Because the UI Foundation is a separate entity, the program does not need approval from the Iowa Board of Regents.

Moore said the idea was based on programs at other hospitals. Three of those he cited, however - the University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania and Mayo Clinic - said they had no such system in place.

Mayo spokesman Karl Oestreich said, however, that about 80 percent of Mayo's benefactors are patients.

Since 2003, the Cleveland Clinic has used an opt-in form after patients are asked if they would like information about a particular area of philanthropic interest, spokeswoman Erinne Dyer said.

Moore said, nationally, more than 80 percent of the average support contributed to medical schools and teaching hospitals is by people unaffiliated with the institution. Most of those are likely patients, he said.

The UI's support was 76 percent in 2007.