Korean J Transplant.  2022 Nov;36(Supple 1):S110. 10.4285/ATW2022.F-2291.

Motivations and obstacles in the process of donor identification based on hospital characteristics

• Abdolmohammadi Y
• Hazrati M
• Ghorbani F

• KMID: 2535626
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4285/ATW2022.F-2291

Abstract

Background
In our organ procurement unit, we use three different strategies to identify all potential brain death donors. So we aimed to evaluate the incentives and deterrents in the process of donor identification based on hospital characteristics.
Methods
In the electronic, cross-sectional study, a 16-item questionnaire that includes information regarding hospital char-acteristics (having a transplant and neurosurgery ward), being related to an organization versus general or private hospital, and also medical staff experience about the donation process and their attitude about donor identification. Items related to the donor identification were nine questions about the potential facilitators as well as seven items corresponding to the potential barriers.
Results
Two-hundred-thirty nurses and medical staff with a mean age of 38.5±28 years participated in the study, of which 62.3% (n=143) were female. In the type I hospitals, 12.4% of respondents believed that hospital policies were weak in identifying potential identifiers, and in type II hospitals, 21.7% agreed that these policies were weak. While 35.9% and 42.2% of them in type I and II hospitals, respectively, believed that the hospital's policies are strong and acceptable, P=0.04. The main facilitator was active detection via regular phone calls which were mentioned by 65.2%. Donor detection by in-hospital coordinators was in second place (42.7%). Also, the availability of the donor coordinators and visiting by the inspectors were other important mo-tivations for donor detection. Regarding barriers, staff viewpoints toward donor selection affect the donor referral to the OPU (54.7%) and staff opinions that this process would be distressing to the donor family avoids donor identification (47.1%). More-over, concerns about patient care were another notable obstacle (43.1%).
Conclusions
It is important to use phone calls for better coverage of donation and also train medical staff to improve their ability in donor selection.