Attitude of personnel in hospital cadaveric organ transplant-related units faced with living kidney donation in a hospital with a living kidney donor transplantation program

Abstract

Introduction: The attitude of health care personnel is fundamental for the procurement of organs, especially when they are based in transplant-related services. The objective of this study is to assess the attitude of hospital personnel in transplant-related services toward living kidney donation in a hospital with a cadaveric and living solid organ transplant program.

Materials and methods: A random sample was taken and stratified by type of service and job category (n = 330) in transplant-related services (procurement units, transplant units and follow-up units). The attitude toward cadaveric organ donation was evaluated using a validated psychosocial questionnaire. Student's t test, chi(2) test, and logistic regression analysis were applied for statistical analysis.

Results: The questionnaire completion rate was 94% (n = 309). Most respondents (87%, n = 268) are in favor of related living kidney donation. However, only 17% (n = 53) of respondents are in favor if this donation is unrelated. Of the rest, 4% (n = 12) of respondents would not accept a donated living kidney organ and the remaining 9% (n = 29) are undecided. Only two variables are significantly related to attitude towards living kidney donation: age (p = 0.013) and a willingness to receive a donated living organ on the part of the respondent, if a transplant organ were needed (p < 0.001). Both variables persist as significant independent variables in the logistic regression analysis. There is also a close relationship between attitude toward living kidney donation and attitude toward living liver donation (p < 0.001).

Conclusions: The personnel in donation and transplantation units tend to have a favorable attitude towards living kidney donation making them a key element in the current promotion of living kidney donation. Moreover, the youngest workers in these units are those who tend to be more in favor, thus offering a promising future for this type of kidney donation which is becoming more of a necessity given the cadaveric organ deficit.