Organ donation: An assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practices among Medical Students

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Original Article

Author Details : Vijaykumar Mane, Jyoti Markam, Roseline F. William, Vidya DC, Trupti B. Naik

Volume : 3, Issue : 4, Year : 2016

Article Page : 284-287

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Abstract

Introduction: Recently organ transplantation has become a safe and viable procedure for prolonging the lives of people suffering from organ failures, and as a result the need for organs has increased. Health care professionals are the most critical link in the organ procurement process and therefore, their knowledge, attitudes and behaviors are essential factors in the creation and promotion of an environment that has a positive influence on organ donation rates.
Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitude and practices towards organ donation among third year medical students in the study setting.
Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among third year medical students at a Private tertiary care hospital in the rural area of Maduranthakam Taluk, Kanchipuram district, Tamil Nadu. Data was collected anonymously in a pretested and semi structured questionnaire after taking an informed consent and those who were absent on the day of data collection were excluded from the study. Data thus obtained was entered and analyzed using WHO Epiinfo software version 3.5.4.
Results: The present study demonstrated favorable attitude and adequate practices among medical students towards Organ donation despite their limitations/gaps in knowledge about the same. The study identifies several areas where educational interventions are necessary.
Recommendations: Need to introduce topic on Organ donation and transplantation in the undergraduate medical curriculum in order to improve knowledge of medical students. Further, appropriate use of mass media like television and newspapers will go a long way in creating awareness among them.

Keywords: Attitude, Knowledge, Medical students, Organ donation, Practices

How to cite : Mane V, Markam J, William R F, Vidya Dc, Naik T B, Organ donation: An assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practices among Medical Students. Indian J Forensic Community Med 2016;3(4):284-287

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