Factors Associated With the Willingness of Clinical Health Care Professionals for Living Organ Donation

Abstract

Understanding the attitudes and willingness in regard to living organ donation of health care professionals is important for clinical practice and needs to be addressed. Thus, the objective of this study was to examine willingness and its influencing factors in regard to living organ donation in clinical health care professionals. MethodsThis study used a cross-sectional design. A total of 375 health care professionals from a regional teaching hospital in northern Taiwan were included in this study. ResultsNearly 65% of the participants indicated a willingness to donate their living organ. Of these participants, 97.1% were willing to donate to family members, 80.8% were willing to donate to friends, and 78.9% were willing to donate to strangers. The predictors of willingness to engage in living organ donation were the desire to help others (odds ratio [OR] = 2.96; P < .01), positive attitude toward living organ donation (OR = 1.12; P < .01), financial support from the government (OR = 4.99; P < .01), and fewer physical concerns (OR = 0.97; P = .04). The willingness to donate a living organ was not associated with age, sex, religious belief, education level, participation in voluntary work, years of clinical work, type of profession, or knowledge about living organ donation. ConclusionIn general, health care professionals had a positive attitude toward and willingness to engage in living organ donation. It is hoped that the results of this study will serve as a referent framework for policymaking in regard to living organ donation and transplantation.