Effects of structured education program on organ donor designation of nursing students and their families: A randomized controlled trial
Little is known about the effect of education programs on changing attitudes and behaviors of participants and their families toward deceased organ donation.
METHODS:The subjects of this randomized trial were Japanese nursing students who were not previously designated organ donors. They were randomly assigned to either the education program or information booklet group. The program comprised a lecture followed by group discussion and information booklet. The primary outcome was self-reported organ donor designation. Outcomes were assessed by questionnaire.
RESULTS:Data of 203 (99.0%) students were analyzed. At study end, seven of 102 students (6.9%) of the program group and one of 101 students (1.0%) of the booklet group consented to donate organs (proportion ratio 6.93 [95% CI 0.87-55.32]). There were significant between-group differences in willingness to consent for donation (54.9% vs 39.6%; proportion ratio 1.39 [95% CI 1.03-1.87]), family discussion (31.4% vs 15.9%; 1.98 [1.16-3.38]), and organ donor designation of family members (11.8% vs 2.0%; 5.94 [1.36-25.88]). No group differences were found in willingness for organ donation by students and family members.
CONCLUSION:Although there were no significant between-group differences in organ donor designation, the program seems to indirectly promote consent to organ donation by their families.
CET Conclusion
| Reviewer: | Dr Liset Pengel, Centre for Evidence in Transplantation, The Royal College of Surgeons of England. |
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| Conclusion: | This RCT investigates the effect of an education programme on changing attitudes and behaviour towards organ donation. Participants were Japanese nursing students who were allocated according to a computer generated sequence to the education programme or three information booklets. The education programme consisted of a lecture by a transplant nephrologist, small group discussions and an information booklet. No power calculation was conducted and 205 students were allocated of whom 2 were excluded from the analyses. The study found no difference between groups in terms of the number of participants who provided consent for organ donation. |
Expert Review
| Reviewer: | Dr Laura A. Taylor, Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, USA. |
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| Conflicts of Interest: | No |
| Clinical Impact Rating | 3 |
| Review: | In attempts to increase organ donor designation registration in Japan, an interprofessional investigative team collaborated to explore the potential impact of education programs on donor designation decision-making and registration. Japanese nursing students (203) were randomly assigned; using computer generated random numbers, to receive an educational program on organ donation in attempts to improve organ donor designation registration in Japan. The control group received a one-day, educational program using booklets. The intervention group received an educational program based on Prochaska’s transtheoretical model on behavioral change. This program included lecture, small group discussion, and booklets. Findings: Well-structured, culturally appropriate educational programs that deliver information in through multiple educational formats generated greater family discussion on organ donor designation and registration as compared to single format educational delivery. No difference in organ donor designation registrations was found between the control and intervention groups. Generalizability is limited to healthcare provider students and participants with a vocational level education. Further research is necessary across educationally diverse participants and family members. Implications for practice: Crafting diverse educational resources can promote organ donor designation discussions across students/participants and their families. Well structured educational resources on organ donation, may influence organ donor designation registration among participants. |
Study Details
| Aims: | To determine the effect of an education programs designed for nursing students on changing attitudes and behaviours towards deceased organ donation. |
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| Interventions: | Participants were randomly assigned to either receive an education program consisting of a classroom lecture, small group discussion and a brief information booklet (intervention group), or three information booklets (control group). |
| Participants: | 203 Japanese nursing students from Saku Central Hospital Nursing School who were not previously designated organ donors. |
| Outcomes: | The primary outcome measured was self-reported organ donor designation. Secondary outcomes measured were proportions of students who discussed deceased organ donation with their family, whose family member provided consent for organ donation, who obtained approval of the family to the student’s consent for organ donation, and who expressed willingness to the following; provide consent for organ donation, donate organs after brain death, donate organs after circulatory death, to approve organ removal from a deceased family donor with organ donor designation, to approve organ removal from a |
| Follow Up: | Day 39 |
Metadata
| Publication type: | Randomized Controlled Trial, Randomised Controlled Trial |
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| Organ: | Various |
| Language: | English |
| MeSH terms: | Adolescent; Adult; Family; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health Education; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Informed Consent; Japan; Male; Students, Nursing; Tissue Donors; Tissue and Organ Procurement; Young Adult |