Introduction: Organ transplantation is often the only possible treatment to save the lives of patients with end-stage organ failure. Limiting factors include failure to notify in cases of patients with brain death, the inefficient procurement and distribution of organs, the lack of specific educational policies for health care professionals, lack of knowledge on the organ transplantation process, and family refusal for organ donation.
Objective: To evaluate the knowledge of students enrolled in different undergraduate university courses in Rio de Janeiro on the regulations and strategies governing transplant organ donation in Brazil.
Methods: This qualitative, observational study used a 10-item questionnaire aimed at obtaining data on respondents' general knowledge regarding organ donation and transplantation. The questionnaire was applied using either a printed or an electronic version developed on Google Forms and was completed anonymously.
Results: Overall, 587 questionnaires were completed. The participants were divided into 3 groups according to their field of study: 256 (43.6%) from courses related to arts and humanities, 159 (27.1%) from science and technology-related courses, and 172 (29.3%) from the biomedical field. Most respondents (396; 67.5%) were unaware of the criteria required to be an organ transplant donor.
Conclusion: There is a significant lack of knowledge among university students on issues related to the organ donation and transplantation process in Brazil.
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