Knowledge and Attitude of Health-Care Professionals toward Organ Donation in Bahrain

Background and Aim: The present study was carried out to assess the awareness, knowledge, and attitude of health-care professionals (HCPs) toward organ donation in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 376 HCPs including physicians (n = 223), nurses (n = 101), and other HCPs (n = 52) were asked to fill out a validated questionnaire about their demographics, knowledge, and attitude toward organ and tissue donation and transplantation. Results: About two-thirds of the physicians (57.84%), nursing staff (38.6%), and other HCPs (54.4%) knew that Islamic laws allow organ donation (P = 0.005). Most of the physicians (99.1%) and nurses (95%) knew that brain-dead persons are eligible for organ donation, whereas only 91.2% of the other HCPs thought so. The majority of the HCPs supported organ donation during their life (96.2%); physicians (96.9%), nurses (88.1%), and other HCPs (82.3%). It was found that only 9.4% of the participants had registered as organ donors. Among HCPs, only about 50% thought that everyone should be automatically registered as an organ donor, whereas around 25% donated blood/tissue in their life. Three hundred and thirty-two participants (88.3%) reported a positive attitude toward living kidney donation and 71.8% expressed their agreement to donate organs after their death. Conclusions: HCPs had a good attitude toward organ transplantation, although less than half of them had knowledge of transplantation rules and its theoretical basis and financial issues. Additional awareness and education of HCP are needed in all areas of the organ donation process in the Kingdom of Bahrain.