A comparison of public attitudes toward autopsy, organ donation, and anatomic dissection. A Swedish survey

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate people's reactions to procedures involving the dead body by comparing their attitudes toward autopsy, organ donation, and dissection.

Design: Survey, using a questionnaire with 24 items that address reactions toward autopsy, organ donation, and donation of the whole body, including religious and sociodemographic issues.

Participants: An age-stratified, random sample of 1950 individuals in Sweden, 18 to 75 years old. The response rate was 65%.

Results: Eighty-four percent reported acceptance of an autopsy for themselves and 80% for a close relative. Sixty-two percent were willing to donate their own organs and 39% to donate the organs of a family member; 15% accepted donation of their whole body for dissection. Practically all who accepted dissection also were willing to donate their organs and to be autopsied; practically all who were willing to donate their organs also accepted autopsy. About 65% to 70% felt some discomfort at the thought of autopsy and organ donation. Women seemed more sensitive toward operations on the dead body than men.

Conclusions: The rank order of medical procedures after death, based on the proportion of individuals positive toward the procedures, can be used to form a scale with autopsy and dissection at each end point and organ donation in the middle. This scale has the characteristics of a Guttman scale and can be looked on as a comfort-discomfort continuum regarding procedures involving the dead body.