The primary care physician faced with organ donation: attitudinal study in South-Eastern Spain

Attitude of health personnel, especially of physicians, has a significant influence on populational attitude towards organ donation and transplantation. The objective here is to analyse the attitude of Primary Care (PC) physicians towards cadaveric organ donation and transplantation and to determine the factors which condition this attitude.

A random sample was stratified by geographical location (six health areas of our community) among PC physicians. A total of 155 responses from 32 health centres were collected. Attitude towards donation was evaluated using a psychosocial attitudinal questionnaire about donation validated in our geographical area. The co-ordinator of physicians in each centre was contacted in each centre and was made responsible for distribution and collection of the questionnaires which were completed anonymously. The chi2 test and Student's t-test were applied.

88% (n=136) of the PC physicians are in favour of organ donation, 1% (n=2) are against and 11% (n=17) are undecided. Up to 84% of the PC physicians (n=130) have attended to transplant patients, although this fact is not related to a more positive attitude towards donation (p=0.059). In addition, 64% (n=99) have provided favourable information about organ donation and transplantation to their patients and one of the physicians admits having provided unfavourable information about the matter. On analysing the psychosocial variables which influence such an attitude, a relationship has only been found with respect to two variables: attitude towards cadaveric manipulation (p=0.035) and a partner's opinion towards the subject (p=0.006).

PC physicians have a very favourable attitude towards donation of their own organs and constitute a positive source of information on the subject for the general public.