title: Organ Donation Among Tiers of Health Workers: Expanding Resources to Optimize Organ Availability in a Developing Country.
abstract: The global increase in end organ failure but disproportional shortage of organ donation calls for attention. Expanding the organ pool by assessing and improving health workers' attitude at all levels of care may be a worthwhile initiative.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire-based cross sectional study involving tertiary, secondary, and primary health institutions in Southwestern Nigeria was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Age range was 18 to 62 (36.7 ± 9.2) years. Only 13.5%, 11.7%, and 11.2% from primary, secondary, and tertiary health centers, respectively, would definitely donate despite high level of awareness (>90%) at each level of care. Participants from primary health care are of low income (P < 0.05), and this cohort is less likely to be aware of organ donation (P < 0.05). At each level of care, permission by religion to donate organs influenced positive attitudes (willingness to donate, readiness to counsel families of potential donors, and signing of organ donation cards) toward organ donation. Good knowledge of organ donation only significantly influenced readiness to counsel donors (P < 0.05) and not willingness to donate (P > 0.05). At each level of health care, young health care workers (P < 0.05) and women (P > 0.05) would be willing to donate, whereas men show positive attitude in signing of organ donor cards (P < 0.05) and counseling of families of potential donors (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knowledge and willingness to donate organs among health care levels were not different. Considering the potential advantage of community placement of other tiers of health care (primary and secondary) in Nigeria, integrating them would be strategically beneficial to organ donation.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
authors: Rotimi
authors: R
authors: Oluyombo
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.
authors: Bimbo Michael
authors: BM
authors: Fawale
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
authors: Olusegun Adesola
authors: OA
authors: Busari
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
authors: Jeffery Olarinde
authors: JO
authors: Ogunmola
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.
authors: Timothy Olusegun
authors: TO
authors: Olanrewaju
authors: Department of Community Medicine, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria.
authors: Callistus Adewale
authors: CA
authors: Akinleye
authors: Department of Surgery, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors: Rufus Wale
authors: RW
authors: Ojewola
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
authors: Musah
authors: M
authors: Yusuf
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
authors: Omotola
authors: O
authors: Obajolowo
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Soje
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
authors: Babajide
authors: B
authors: Gbadegesin