National survey of Filipinos on acceptance of incentivized organ donation.

BACKGROUND: The increasing number of patients requiring transplantation has brought about a shortage of donor kidneys. Incentives can potentially improve organ donation. There is a need to know if the public can accept incentivized organ donation. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate knowledge and opinions on organ donation and compensating the donor/donor family and to determine factors affecting consent. METHODS: The third survey in 2009 covered 15 regions, 29 provinces, and 14 cities in the National Capital Region. There were 1500 respondents interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Analysis used Statistical Package for Social Science and chi-square. RESULTS: Of the respondents, 63% were females and 74% were married. Nearly half were between 26 and 45 years old. Fewer than 5% were unschooled. Monthly household income was less than USD $222.00 in 70% of respondents. A majority knew about donation from 2001 to 2009. Fewer than 20% knew about deceased donors. Those who wanted to become donors decreased. Sixty-five percent were willing to donate a brain-dead relative's organs. Respondents felt that kidney donors deserve a token of gratitude. Options included livelihood (32%), cash (31%), and educational assistance (26%). Sixty percent wanted the donor assistance termed a "token of gratitude." Consent for donation was positively correlated (P < .05) with higher education and monthly income. CONCLUSION: Awareness on organ transplantation and donation increased. Factors that promote organ donation are higher education and monthly income. A majority of Filipinos felt that the donor deserves a token of gratitude. Public acceptance of incentivized organ donation may be pursued. Strategies to improve the national advocacy campaign for deceased donation are needed.

A national program toward improving renal health: advancing organ donation awareness.

BACKGROUND: Despite the national advocacy campaign for kidney transplantation from deceased donors in the Philippines 96% of kidneys transplanted into 721 kidney transplants from 1999 to 2001 came from living donors. A national survey on the knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of Filipinos on organ donation in 2001 showed factors that disadvantaged deceased organ donation to be poor understanding of "brain death," religion, and fear of the operation. These concerns were addressed and another survey was conducted in 2005. OBJECTIVES: To compare knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of Filipinos on organ donation between 2001 and 2005, and compare the number of kidney transplants from deceased donors between 2001 until 2008. METHODS: Two surveys in 15 regions of the Philippines were conducted using multistage sampling. Using a structured questionnaire there were 2000 respondents in 2001, and 2140 in 2005. Analysis was performed using chi-square analysis. RESULTS: The majority of respondents knew about kidney donation. Between 2001 and 2005, there was increased awareness that transplants came from both living and deceased donors (37% to 41%) and a decline in those believing transplants came only from deceased donors (14% to 9%). Willingness to become a living (59% to 87%) or a deceased donor (35% to 49%) increased. The increase in transplantation from deceased donors from an average of 10 per year from 1999 to 2001 to 31 per year from 2006 to 2008. CONCLUSION: Increased awareness about kidney donation among Filipinos, improved consent to become an organ donor, and an increase in kidney transplantation from deceased donors occurred from 2001 to 2008.