title: Emergency medical services knowledge and attitudes about non-heart-beating donors: effect of an educational intervention.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  More than 750,000 people die of sudden death each year, and many are potential non-heart-beating donors (NHBDs) for lung transplant. Although critical, the role of emergency medical services (EMS) personnel in assisting with recovery of NHBD lungs has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to assess knowledge of and attitudes about NHBDs among EMS personnel, evaluate the extent to which knowledge and personal experience with organ donation is associated with attitude, and ascertain the effectiveness of an intervention designed to teach EMS professionals about NHBDs.
  
  
  METHODS
  EMS professionals (n = 361) completed measures of knowledge of and attitudes about NHBDs and then watched a presentation by a transplant doctor about traditional organ donation, NHBDs, and transplantation. Participants were able to ask questions during and after the presentation. Participants completed the measures again 3 months later.
  
  
  RESULTS
  EMS professionals had a high rate of personal experience with organ donation and positive attitudes toward traditional organ donation. However, they showed lack of knowledge about NHBDs and felt less skilled in being part of the NHBD process, consistent with knowledge scores. The educational intervention was somewhat effective in improving knowledge about NHBDs. Scores improved significantly on 5 of 13 items.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lung recovery from NHBDs offers the potential of a very large supply for transplantation. This research suggests that with additional training, EMS professionals may be willing to be part of a NHBD recovery team.
authors.affiliation: Departments of a?>Allied Health Sciences; Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Electronic address: eburker@med.unc.edu.
authors.forename: Eileen J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Burker
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fingerhut
authors.affiliation: Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Daria
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ebneter
authors.affiliation: Departments of a?>Allied Health Sciences.
authors.forename: Mallory
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giza
authors.affiliation: Departments of a?>Allied Health Sciences.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Espey Weber
authors.affiliation: Departments of d?>Medicine.
authors.forename: Peadar G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Noone
authors.affiliation: Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Egan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000379:methods*; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016040:Lung Transplantation / Q000193:education*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014019:Tissue Donors; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: educational intervention; emergency medical services; lung recovery; lung transplant; non-heart-beating donors; paramedics