title: Assessment of resident and fellow knowledge of the organ donor referral process.
abstract: Maximizing deceased donation rates can decrease the organ shortage. Non-transplant physicians play a critical role in facilitating conversion of potential deceased donors to actual donors, but studies suggest that physicians lack knowledge about the organ donation process. As residency and fellowship are often the last opportunities for formal medical training, we hypothesized that deficiencies in knowledge might originate in residency and fellowship. We conducted a cross-sectional survey to assess knowledge about organ donation, experience in donor conversion, and opinions of the process among residents and fellows after their intensive care unit rotations at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Of 40 participants, 50% had previously facilitated donor conversion, 25% were familiar with the guidelines of the organ procurement organization (OPO), and 10% had received formal instruction from the OPO. The median score on the knowledge assessment was five of 10; higher knowledge score was not associated with level of medical training, prior training in or experience with donor conversion, or with favorable opinions about the OPO. We identified a pervasive deficit in knowledge among residents and fellows at an academic medical center with an active transplant program that may help explain attending-level deficits in knowledge about the organ donation process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: Natasha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: Jacqueline M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Garonzik-Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: Ralph J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Passarella
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD.|Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: Megan L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Salter
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: Lauren M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Kucirka
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: Babak J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Orandi
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: Andrew H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Law
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.|Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: Dorry L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Segev
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D015142:Baltimore; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003422:Critical Care; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D003643:Death; D005257:Fellowships and Scholarships; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000193:education; D007396:Internship and Residency; D016014:Linear Models; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D015272:Pulmonary Medicine / Q000193:education; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014019:Tissue Donors; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000458:organization & administration*
keywords: attitude of health personnel; attitudes; brain death; health knowledge; organ donation; practice; tissue and organ procurement