Brazilian Health Care Professionals` Attitudes and Knowledge Regarding Organ Donation and Transplantation: A Systematic Review

Abstract

This systematic literature review synthesizes evidence on Brazilian health care professionals' attitudes and knowledge regarding organ donation transplantation. This search included 5 databases-EBSCO, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Virtual Health Library. Search terms were conceptualized into 4 groups-organ transplantation/donation, health care professionals, attitude/knowledge, and Brazil. The eligibility criteria included academic articles that applied quantitative methods to examine the attitudes and/or knowledge of health care professionals toward organ donation-transplantation (ODT). After a critical appraisal of the citations initially retrieved, 13 studies were included in this review. Although most studies pointed to an overall positive attitude of participants toward ODT, insufficient knowledge level among participants was also observed in most studies, especially knowledge gaps regarding aspects such as legal requirements and the functioning of the ODT processes in Brazil. In convergence with the broader ODT literature, education was highlighted as a central point in ODT processes. The results reveal the scarcity of studies on the subject in Brazil and indicate an opportunity for educational efforts to improve the knowledge of health care professionals regarding the ODT process. This study enriches the academic literature and encourages new investigations on the issue, especially in the North and Northeast of Brazil.