The use of social networking to explore knowledge and attitudes toward organ donation in Italy

Currently, online social media have become increasingly popular and can provide the opportunity to provide and acquire information regarding knowledge and attitudes toward organ donation and transplantation. To evaluate participants' knowledge about organ donation, information sources and donation principles, an on-line survey was distributed through social network in Italy.

10584 persons were invited to respond to the questionnaire, the response rate was 22.8% and a total of 2258 complete responses were analyzed.

The majority of participants were in favour of organ donation (94.9%), but this proportion decreased when asking for consent to donation of a family member's organs (75.2%; P<0.001). Internet represented a considerable proportion of information sources (37.2%), that were much less frequently represented by family doctors (5.6%) and school education (18.6%). Conversely, 68.5% of participants think that family doctors should provide information regarding donation and 81.9% think schools should also provide such education (P<0.001). A good knowledge about donation principles was the main factor associated with a positive attitude toward donation (P<0.001).

Efforts must be aimed at involving schools and family doctors in education about donation; the use of social networks can represent a way of improving such knowledge.