title: [Organ donation: point of view of private practice physicians in the region Nord-Pas de Calais in France].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In 2008, in France, 222 patients died because they did not receive the graft they expected. The main objective of this study was to determine the attitude of private practice physicians concerning organ donation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A postal questionnaire was sent to all private practice office-based physicians in the Nord-Pas de Calais region. This questionnaire was elaborated with a panel of physicians and sociologists. It was sent with the monthly journal of the regional union of private physicians of June 2008.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred and seventy eight questionnaires were returned. One hundred and thirty four (48.2%) respondents declared they knew what the regulations about organ donation were. The majority of respondents approved organ donation. Information to patients was provided during visits by 34.53% (96) of practitioners. For those who were knowledgeable about regulations, 50.75% of them talked about organ donation. Physicians who had already had experience with organ donation were more inclined to talk about it with other patients. The practitioners described three actions they felt could have a positive influence on family acceptance: providing information before death, talking about organ donation in an appropriate sensitive way, and relying on the confidence established by a solid patient-physician relationship.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Almost 90% of private physicians who responded to the survey were in favor of organ donation but only 34.5% delivered information and discussed the issue with their patients. The physicians coped with the topics more easily when they had experienced cases and when they were informed about existing regulations. A specific educational program on the current regulations and how to interact with patients on this subject during a visit could be a first answer to the problem and would be welcomed by practitioners.
authors.affiliation: Centre Hospitalier Régionale Universitaire (CHRU) de Lille, 57 Boulevard de Metz, 59000 Lille, France. nassirme@hotmail.com
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Messaadi
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tavernier
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Depouvourville
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Depauw
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salouhou
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aquilina
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Noel
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Cottencin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010819:Physician's Role; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011331:Private Practice; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*