title: [Level of information of students at the University of Regensburg concerning organ donation and transplantation--informed or not informed consent in organ donation?].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As a result of the actual amendment of the German transplantation law, every citizen will be regularly asked by health insurance companies about his attitude towards post-mortem organ donation--without the obligation to decide. The aim is to increase the willingness of donations as well as the availability of organs. Therefore, we investigated the level of information of students at the University of Regensburg and their agreement to organ transplantation regarding an informed consent.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using an interdisciplinary developed questionnaire (Medicine, Theology, Educational Science) the level of information concerning process and possibilities of organ donation, the possession of an organ donor card, as well as the active or passive consent to donate organs was investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 1225 respondents 31.5% had an organ donor card, 49.1% wanted to donate organs, 32.1% were unsure. 98% generally favoured organ donation. However, serious information deficits about brain death were identified: 37.4% did not know that brain death is a prerequisite for a post-mortem organ donation, 18% thought brain death is reversible, 52.7% were not aware of the necessity of intensive medical care. Furthermore, providing information about other potential donor organs including lungs, pancreas, small intestine, and tissue is required.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health insurance companies and responsible authorities need to close the identified gaps in knowledge in order to achieve "informed" consent with organ donation, which might increase the availability and number of donor organs.
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin Nephrologie II des Universitätsklinikums Regensburg.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Banas
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bleyer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eckert
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gruber
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pfirstinger
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Schaller
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dietl
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D032722:Advance Care Planning / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005858:Germany; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016377:Organ Transplantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014495:Universities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult