Knowledge and attitudes of healthcare professionals and the impact on willingness to donate organs: a tertiary hospital survey.

INTRODUCTION: Healthcare professionals (HCPs) working in critical care areas play an important role in the organ donation (OD) process. We studied HCPs' own willingness to be organ donors and its association with sociodemographic factors as well as their knowledge and attitudes about OD and transplantation. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of HCPs working in four critical care units in a major transplant centre in Malaysia was undertaken using a validated structured questionnaire. Responses were analysed using multivariable analysis with willingness to donate as the dependent variable. RESULTS: Of the 412 respondents (response rate 98.1%), the majority were nurses (60.4%), Malay (71.1%) and female (77.2%). Overall, 68.0% were willing to donate. The independent predictors of willingness to donate were profession (p < 0.001) and the Hindu religion (p = 0.001). Ethnicity (p = 0.003), religious belief (p < 0.001), knowledge (p = 0.016), belief in brain death (p = 0.018) and confidence in transplantation (p < 0.001) also independently correlated with willingness to donate, while attitudes to OD did not. Of those willing to donate, only 37.3% were carrying a donor card and only 63.1% had informed their family of their intention to donate. CONCLUSION: Although willingness to donate was higher in critical care HCPs than HCPs in general, significant knowledge gaps as well as certain beliefs and perceptions that could pose a barrier to OD were identified in this group. Measures to improve OD rates in Malaysia should include targeted educational programmes for HCPs working in critical care areas.

Demographics of healthcare professionals’ knowledge and attitude toward deceased organ donation: Survey of critical care areas in a tertiary hospital

@#Introduction: Organ donation rate in Malaysia is amongst the lowest in the World. Healthcare professionals (HCPs) working in critical care areas play an important role in the deceased organ donation (DOD) process. This study seeks to identify the demographics of HCPs working in the critical care areas and their knowledge and attitudes toward the DOD process. Method: A cross-sectional survey on the demographics, knowledge and attitudes of the doctors and nurses working in critical care areas was undertaken by the random sampling method, using a validated, structured questionnaire. HCP’s knowledge and attitudes towards brain death (BD), DOD, organ transplantation (OT), and possession of organ donor card were compared against their demographics. Results: Four hundred and twelve (72.9%) out of the total 565 HCPs in critical care areas responded of whom 163 (39.6%) were doctors and 249 (60.4%) were nurses. After adjusting for other factors, department of work and profession were highly correlated with the overall knowledge score (p<0.001 and p=0.003 respectively) and knowledge about BD (p<0.001 and p=0.013 respectively). HCPs from the neurosurgical intensive care unit (p<0.001) and doctors (p<0.001) had higher mean knowledge scores compared to their counterparts. Profession was most significantly correlated with having a positive attitude towards BD (p<0.001) and OT (p<0.001). Conclusion: Department, profession and ethnicity were the demographic characteristics that correlated with knowledge and attitudes of HCPs on organ donation. Efforts to improve DOD rates in Malaysia should include targeted interventions to address the knowledge and attitudes of HCPs working in critical care areas.