Perceptions of medical students and doctors of the autonomy in organ donation

Abstract

Brazilian law adopts the family decision as a criterion for organ and tissue donation. The objective of this work was to assess the knowledge and opinion of medical professors, residents, and medical students on the subject. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study using a questionnaire. The survey was answered by 304 scholars split into 3 study cycles, 19 residents, and 30 professors totaling 353 participants. Of all participants, 99,1%% of women and 94,9% of men were in favor of organ and tissue donation. They agreed that the main criterion should be the person’s will, 104 (81.2% n=128) students of the basic cycle, 62 (82.7% n=75) of the clinicians, 82 (81.2% n=101) from the internship, 15 (78,9%) of the residents, and 25 (83.3%) of the professors. It was concluded that the person’s previous manifestation is a relevant criterion for donating their organs and tissues, which can promote respect for their autonomy, family acceptance, and the increase in the number of donors.