A training course of organ donation following brain death: a quasi-experimental study of knowledge, attitude and practice of healthcare staff in Hormozgan

Timely donation of transplantable organs of brain dead patients is the main source for supplying organs needed by patients waiting for a transplant. Training healthcare staff involved in managing brain dead patients is a major priority of the Iranian Society of Organ Donation. This study determined the effectiveness of the training course of organ donation following brain death on the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) of healthcare staff in Hormozgan.

This quasi-experimental (single group pre-post test) study was conducted in Bandar Abbas in autumn of 2018. Totally, 117 staff involved in managing brain dead patients participated in the study. KAP was assessed by a researcher-made questionnaire in three stages: before and after training, and 2 months later. We used t-independent parametric tests for two-group comparison, repeated measurement for a three-step comparison of KAP, and post-hoc analysis for pairwise comparison of the stages

Eighty-five participants (72.6%) returned the questionnaires in all the stages. They included 67% female, 75.3% married, and 88.2% with bachelor degrees. The mean age was 36.95±7.71 years old. KAP assessed in the 2nd and 3rd stages were significantly higher than the 1st stage. The KAP of men and women improved but not significantly. KAP of participants with bachelor degrees improved significantly, but not for those with higher degrees.

The assessment in the three stages proved that the training course effectively improved KAP of the participants