Cadaveric dissection has been used throughout history to gain a better understanding of human anatomy and to train medical practitioners. Today, these bodies are predominantly sourced through whole‐body donation programs housed by academic institutions (Champney et al., 2018). Universities rely on these programs to supply students, researchers, and clinicians with valuable, hands‐on learning experiences (Balta et al., 2016). The aim of this study was to gather information about the process of whole‐body donation at universities across the United States in order to better understand how body donors are procured for educational and research purposes. A Qualtrics survey was administered via email to 125 body donation programs in the United States. Results were gathered from the 50 programs that responded to the questionnaire. All but one of the respondents were accepting donations into their programs at the time of data collection. Collectively, these programs receive approximately 9,855 whole‐body donations annually. Our findings show that 82% of the donation programs receive enough donations to fit or exceed the needs of their institutions, while the remaining 18% receive too few donations to fit their institutional needs. Results showed that 37 programs permit next of kin body donation regularly or in times of need, and only 3 programs accept donations of fetal anatomical materials for educational and research purposes. Of the programs surveyed, 44% reported that other departments from their institution procure human anatomical materials from sources outside of the university’s donation program. Forty‐four programs reported that on average, over 80% of their registered donor population is composed of white individuals, yet only 5 institutions have methods in place to promote diversity among their donor population. Overall, we conclude that there is considerable variability in the operation of body donation programs across the United States. This is likely due to the lack of national policies to regulate these programs. These findings can be used to make recommendations about donor enrollment and program operations to build trust with prospective donors. By sharing information and best practices, anatomical gift programs across the United States can improve the donation process overall so that American universities may continue to reap the benefits of the immense gift that only whole‐body donors can provide.
Work with deceased human bodies to enhance anatomical education was first documented in the 3rd century BCE. However, the development of body donation programs provided many new opportunities for medical education. The aim of this study was to investigate the work supported by human body donors at academic institutions in the United States and to evaluate the ethical oversight process and the preparation methods used. A questionnaire was developed using Qualtrics and sent to 125 body donation programs in the United States. Representatives from a total of 69 institutions completed the questionnaire. The data showed that human body donations across the United States are used in teaching, clinical skills training, research, and educational outreach. Most institutions worked with hard‐fixed donors for teaching and some with soft‐preserved and unembalmed donors for clinical skills training. Among the participating programs, only 33 representatives reported an ethical approval process for conducting research involving human body donors. These findings raise ethical concerns related to the operation of body donation programs due to the lack of oversight. Furthermore, some institutions allowed faculty and staff to take photographs of donated bodies for educational purposes, which is often not disclosed on the consent form. The data also showed the need for more discussion on anatomical legacy collections housed at these institutions in the United States.
Working with human cadavers for anatomical education dates back to the Middle Ages. In modern day, anatomist still believe the best way to learn anatomy is through the wonderful gift of human body donors (Balta et al, 2015). Additionally, teaching the general public anatomy may increase health literacy, allowing individuals to make healthier decisions for their body (Taylor et al, 2017). In this study we aim to investigate the work supported by human body donors at academic institutions in the United States and how institutions are working to best maximize this gift. A questionnaire using Qualtrics was sent to 125 body donation programs in the United States. The questionnaire consisted of a series of conditional questions to assess how each institution works with their body donors. From the 125 invited programs, 46 have completed the questionnaire. 96.7% of the institutions utilize a hard fixation method and of those body donors undergoing hard fixation, 87.9% of the body donors support anatomical teaching. Additionally, 32.6% of the institutions have a soft preservation method. 49.5% of these donors support clinical skills training. Lastly, 45.7% of the institutions work with fresh frozen donors. 66.5% of fresh frozen body donors support clinical skills training as well. The data also shows that at these institutions, donors that have underwent the hard fixation process can be worked with indefinitely depending on their utilization and proper maintenance. Whereas soft preservative and fresh frozen body donors begin decomposition much sooner. Overall, the data suggests that hard fixation is more appropriately correlated with teaching human anatomy, while fresh frozen and soft preservation tend to support clinical skills training. This is most likely due to the sheer number of students that are taught on human body donors daily. Therefore, teaching anatomy using the human body donors, you need to utilize an embalming method that will last an extended period and is relatively easy to produce. Additionally, 92.5% of the surveyed institutions, allow faculty and staff to take photographs of body donors and 14% allow students to take photos as well for educational purposes. Lastly, 39% of the institutions allow individuals to work with human body donors for educational purposes to teach the public in outreach and continuing education settings. These unique tools and applications institutions employ allow them to further maximize their work with body donors. Also, with the appropriate embalming method, educators can teach students in an efficient and effective manner. Knowing the appropriate preservation method to utilize for a particular purpose will also help maximize the gift of donation while enhancing the education process for students and teachers.
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