Actitud de los profesionales hospitalarios no sanitarios españoles y latinoamericanos hacia la donación de hígado de vivo

Introduction

Hospital professionals are an opinion group that influences the general population.

Objective

To analyze attitudes to living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) among non-medical professionals working in Spanish and Latin American hospitals and to determine the variables that influence these attitudes.

Material and method

A random sample, stratified by department, was selected from non-medical staff in the “International Donor Collaborative Project”: there were three hospitals in Spain, five in Mexico and two in Cuba. Attitudes were evaluated through a validated, anonymous, self-administered questionnaire.

Results

There were 951 non-medical professionals: 277 from Spain, 632 from Mexico and 42 from Cuba. A total of 86% (n = 818) were in favor of related living donation and 31% (n = 299) were in favor of unrelated living donation. This attitude was associated with the following: country (Mexico 88%, Cuba 83%, Spain 81%) (p =0.016), female sex (p =0.026), having experience of donation and transplantation (p =0.001), having a favorable attitude to donation (P <0.001), considering the possibility of needing a transplant (P <0.001), being in favor of living kidney donation (P <0.001), being willing to accept a transplant from a living donor if necessary (P <0.001), discussing donation and transplantation with the family and partner (P <0.001), carrying out pro-social activities (P <0.001), believing that one's religion was in favor of donation and transplantation (P<0.001), and not worrying about bodily mutilation after donation (P <0.001).

Conclusions

Attitudes toward related LDLT among non-medical staff in various Spanish, Mexican and Cuban hospitals are favorable. In 86% of those surveyed, this attitude was not influenced by classical psychosocial factors.