A study of sociodemographic profile and level of awareness of the decision makers for organ donation of deceased organ donors in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Aim: Organ transplants have developed into a successful therapy to treat end-stage organ disease. Family members play a prominent role in decisions related to organ donation of brain-dead patients. Having different imaginations about brain death among the people may be highly influenced by culture, experience, and other sociodemographic variables. Thus, the study was undertaken to analyze the sociodemographic profile of the decision makers for organ donation in case of potential deceased donors and to determine the level of awareness and its relation with the sociodemographic variables. Methods: The study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital of North India from January 2016 to August 2017. The current research is a qualitative study with exploratory approach. Data were collected through interviews with 59 family members who gave consent to organ donation of their family members. A purposive sampling method was used. Results: The results showed that most (76.3%) of the decision makers were totally unaware of the concept of organ donation before they were counseled for the same. The results showed that awareness of organ donation was dependent on gender, education, and monthly income. Most of the decision makers had only primary education. Although they were initially not aware about the concept, their decision-making was not influenced by the level of education. Majority (90%) of the females were unaware about the organ donation, but eventually consented for the cause. Conclusion: The scope of mass education and awareness can be expanded to further strengthen the program and improve the outreach.