Background:

Organ donation shortage is a persistent challenge affecting many countries. The demand for transplants and organs outweighs the supply, and as a result the waiting lists of patients are long and for some a donor and a matching organ may never become available. This discrepancy can be the result of various factors, such as family refusal to consent to organ donation, organisational, legislative, cultural issues, limited public awareness of Deceased Organ Donation (DOD).

Methods:

An empirical and observational study in London (UK), Rotterdam (NL) and Santander (SP) was designed to examine the knowledge and attitudes of medical students, renal patients and hospital administrative staff. In the three countries, 1,111 took part in the survey and 49 participated in focus group discussions.

Results:

Data from the questionnaire and focus group discussions showed that support towards DOD did not necessarily translate to registration. It also showed that not only the profile of supporters of DOD varies from that of non-supporters, but also the profile of registrants and non-registrants. The respondents had little knowledge about DOD processes but awareness about the organ shortage and waiting lists.

Discussion:

There is a background of awareness about DOD, but the public seems to underestimate their own participation in the process. Re-directing the public’s attention to the issue could benefit by focusing on culturally embedding the messages and increasing communication about organ donation within families.

1.Health Literacy in schools and educational settings

2. Health Literacy across the lifespan