University of Iowa patient donor plan delayed

The University of Iowa Foundation is delaying a plan to ask patients at UI clinics for donations.

“We want to take additional time to hear from staff and others who have concerns and to listen to suggestions for how we might improve the program and attain UI Health Care's philanthropic goals,” Jean Robillard, UI Vice President for medical affairs, said today in a statement.

No timeline has been set for refining or resuming the process.

The donor program, known as philanthropic contact consent, had not yet started at the UI's 200-plus outpatient clinics but was slated to begin this winter, spokesman Tom Moore told The Gazette last week.

Under the program, patients would receive a letter at registration from Robillard 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 would have to sign a form to opt out.

Doctors and other health care staff would not know who agrees to be contacted or not.

A national watchdog organization, Patient Privacy Rights, had voiced concern about the program.

Founder Deborah Peel said the idea sounded coercive because patients are in a vulnerable position and may feel like they can't say no.

Several hospitals contacted by The Gazette, including the Mayo Clinic and other universities, said they did not have similar programs.