Effectiveness of Organ Donation Information Campaigns in Germany: A Facebook Based Online Survey

Abstract

BackgroundThe German transplantation system is in a crisis due to a lack of donor organs. Information campaigns are one of the main approaches to increase organ donation rates. Since 2012, German health insurance funds are obliged by law to inform their members about organ donation. We raised the hypothesis: The willingness to sign a donor card rises due to the subsequent increase of specific knowledge by receiving the information material of the health insurance funds.ObjectiveThe objective of the study was to assess the influence of information campaigns on the specific knowledge and the willingness to donate organs.MethodsWe conducted an online survey based on recruitment via Facebook groups, advertisements using the snowball effect, and on mailing lists of medical faculties in Germany. Besides the demographic data, the willingness to hold an organ donor card was investigated. Specific knowledge regarding transplantation was explored using five factual questions resulting in a specific knowledge score.ResultsWe recruited a total of 2484 participants, of which 32.7% (300/917) had received information material. Mean age was 29.9 (SD 11.0, median 26.0). There were 65.81% (1594/2422) of the participants that were female. The mean knowledge score was 3.28 of a possible 5.00 (SD 1.1, median 3.0). Holding a donor card was associated with specific knowledge (P<.001), but not with the general education level (P=.155). Receiving information material was related to holding a donor card (P<.001), but not to a relevant increase in specific knowledge (difference in mean knowledge score 3.20 to 3.48, P=.006). The specific knowledge score and the percentage of organ donor card holders showed a linear association (P<.001).ConclusionsThe information campaign was not associated with a relevant increase in specific knowledge, but with an increased rate in organ donor card holders. This effect is most likely related to the feeling of being informed, together with an easy access to the organ donor card.

The effectiveness of current informative material in improving awareness and opinion of undergraduate students towards organ donation: a comparative, randomized survey study

“…The average age of the sample was quite low – only 23 years old. This finding is comparable to studies in other university settings nationally and worldwide 10,15,16. The low mean age of respondents could be influential in the shaping of response patterns, as this age group presents with different values regarding organ donation compared to older populations.…”

“…Studies assessing a sample's general knowledge about organ donation 1,2,11,13,14,16,17 have demonstrated misinformation on the same subjects as the control group in our study. Terbossen et al 17 showed that German medical students who did not carry a donor's card feared feeling pain during organ extraction procedures.…”

A study on knowledge, attitude, and practice about eye donation among medical students and healthcare professionals at a tertiary hospital in Eastern India

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