Stakeholder perceptions of thoracic rapid tissue donation: An exploratory study.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Bioethics
• Medical Research

Background:

• Rapid tissue donation (RTD) involves collecting fresh tissue within 2-6 hours post-mortem.
• RTD presents opportunities for developing novel lung cancer therapies.
• Ethical considerations are paramount in establishing RTD programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess knowledge, perceptions, and ethical concerns regarding patient recruitment for an RTD program.
• To identify stakeholder perspectives on RTD implementation in thoracic oncology.

Main Methods:

• Six focus groups were conducted with 38 participants, including cancer patients, caregivers, physicians, and clinic staff.
• A semi-structured focus group guide was used, and transcripts were analyzed via hand-coding with high inter-rater reliability (≥90%).

Main Results:

• Knowledge of RTD was generally low across all stakeholder groups.
• All groups recognized the significant benefits of RTD for cancer research.
• Physicians and staff worried about patient comfort and hope, while patients/families focused on logistics and family impact.

Conclusions:

• Physicians are seen as the appropriate personnel to initiate RTD discussions.
• Individualized recruitment and physician training are essential for RTD programs.
• Enhanced education and awareness campaigns for all stakeholders are necessary before RTD program initiation.