Transplantation
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The availability of donor organs is considerably reduced by relatives refusing donation after death. There is no previous large-scale evaluation of the influence of the Donor Register (DR) consultation and the potential donor's age on this refusal in The Netherlands. ⋯ Despite the introduction of a DR, relatives still play an equally important role in the final decision for organ donation. The general public should be encouraged to register their donation preferences in the DR and also to discuss their preferences with their families. The higher refusal rate of older potential donors means that this group should receive more information about organ donation, especially because the cohort of available donors is ageing.