Knowledge and attitude toward organ donation among health-care professionals in a rural town in India

Abstract

Organ shortage is the greatest challenge facing the field of organ transplantation today. We aimed to study the attitude and knowledge toward organ donation among health-care professionals (HCPs) in rural India. The study was conducted in a rural town in Konkan region of Maharashtra in India. A questionnaire testing knowledge and attitude about various aspects of organ donation was distributed to HCPs. One hundred percent of the respondents were aware about organ donation. Nearly 40.6% and 21.9% believed that a healthy person and a cardiac dead person can be donors, respectively. Fifty percent believed that a brain dead person can be a donor and 3.1% clearly stated as to be having no idea regarding the health status of a donor. Almost 37.5% were ready to believe a heart beating person declared as "brain dead" as dead. Nearly 15.6% were ready to accept a brain dead person as "legally" dead. Highest awareness was observed regarding eye donation, i.e., 87.5%. High awareness was also observed regarding liver, kidney, heart, skin, and body donations, i.e., 78.1%, 65.6%, 37.5%, 31.3%, and 25.0%, respectively. Awareness regarding organ donation of other tissues and organs was poor. Nearly 46.9% HCPs stated that they felt need for an educational session on organ donation. Awareness regarding concept of organ donation among HCPs in rural India is high. Awareness regarding details of organ donation needs further awareness drives. There is a lack of understanding regarding various aspects of brain death and its importance in organ donation.