332.4: What are the most important causes of family’s refusal of organ donation from Iran’s 10 provinces’ organ donation coordinators?

Abstract

Background: Braindead family’s refusal of organ donation is the main cause of organ shortage worldwide. This study was done to evaluate the most important causes of family’s refusal of organ donation from Iran’s 10 provinces’ organ donation coordinators. Methods: Considering the spread and high number of each province’s hospitals and the lack of knowledge of specialists in those hospitals on organ donation, it is necessary that all special care agents of all hospitals are trained. For this purpose, the five-day organ donation course (IrOSS) was designed. IrOSS’s team includes organ donation and transplantation experts and an executive team which during this course stay in each city and educate province’s authorities and all related expert teams. To determine refusal reasons at the beginning of each course a 20-item questionnaire titled “organ donation refusal reasons” is distributed. Coordinators based on their experiences order the refusal causes of the questionnaire between 1- 20 and if they have any other item in mind, they add it. Afterward, data analyzed by SPSS21. Results: Based on results from these 10 provinces the first and most important reason for family’s refusal in all provinces was family’s lack of understanding of brain death. In table 1, collective results are provided. Fear of blame and guilt were next and at last, were financial expectations and no specific reason. Table 1. Distribution of causes of refusal of organ donation in Iran’s provinces Conclusions: Based on the study results lack of understanding of the concept of brain death was recognized as the first cause in all provinces. To tackle this issue, short- and long-term planning is necessary. In short term, conditions are needed to familiarize organ donation specialist teams with interview principles and techniques and in long-term awareness rising in the society about organ donation. In addition, financial expectations as the last cause shows that Iran’s generous population have no financial expectations to consent to organ donation and sees it as a sacred matter. Keywords: interview, organ donation, IrOSS