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

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Abstract

Background

The 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.

Objective

The objective of the study was to assess the influence of information campaigns on the specific knowledge and the willingness to donate organs.

Methods

We 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.

Results

We 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).

Conclusions

The 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.

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Web-Based Recruiting for Health Research Using a Social Networking Site: An Exploratory Study

Yeshe Fenner, Suzanne Garland, Elya Moore … (2012)

Background Recruitment of young people for health research by traditional methods has become more expensive and challenging over recent decades. The Internet presents an opportunity for innovative recruitment modalities. Objective To assess the feasibility of recruiting young females using targeted advertising on the social networking site Facebook. Methods We placed an advertisement on Facebook from May to September 2010, inviting 16- to 25-year-old females from Victoria, Australia, to participate in a health study. Those who clicked on the advertisement were redirected to the study website and were able to express interest by submitting their contact details online. They were contacted by a researcher who assessed eligibility and invited them to complete a health-related survey, which they could do confidentially and securely either at the study site or remotely online. Results A total of 551 females responded to the advertisement, of whom 426 agreed to participate, with 278 completing the survey (139 at the study site and 139 remotely). Respondents’ age distribution was representative of the target population, while 18- to 25-year-olds were more likely to be enrolled in the study and complete the survey than 16- to 17-year-olds (prevalence ratio = 1.37, 95% confidence interval 1.05–1.78, P = .02). The broad geographic distribution (major city, inner regional, and outer regional/remote) and socioeconomic profile of participants matched the target population. Predictors of participation were older age, higher education level, and higher body mass index. Average cost in advertising fees per compliant participant was US $20, making this highly cost effective. Conclusions Results demonstrate the potential of using modern information and communication technologies to engage young women in health research and penetrate into nonurban communities. The success of this method has implications for future medical and population research in this and other demographics.

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Knowledge, attitudes and practices survey on organ donation among a selected adult population of Pakistan

Taimur Saleem, Sidra Ishaque, Nida Habib … (2009)

Background To determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding organ donation in a selected adult population in Pakistan. Methods Convenience sampling was used to generate a sample of 440; 408 interviews were successfully completed and used for analysis. Data collection was carried out via a face to face interview based on a pre-tested questionnaire in selected public areas of Karachi, Pakistan. Data was analyzed using SPSS v.15 and associations were tested using the Pearson's Chi square test. Multiple logistic regression was used to find independent predictors of knowledge status and motivation of organ donation. Results Knowledge about organ donation was significantly associated with education (p = 0.000) and socioeconomic status (p = 0.038). 70/198 (35.3%) people expressed a high motivation to donate. Allowance of organ donation in religion was significantly associated with the motivation to donate (p = 0.000). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that higher level of education and higher socioeconomic status were significant (p < 0.05) independent predictors of knowledge status of organ donation. For motivation, multiple logistic regression revealed that higher socioeconomic status, adequate knowledge score and belief that organ donation is allowed in religion were significant (p < 0.05) independent predictors. Television emerged as the major source of information. Only 3.5% had themselves donated an organ; with only one person being an actual kidney donor. Conclusion Better knowledge may ultimately translate into the act of donation. Effective measures should be taken to educate people with relevant information with the involvement of media, doctors and religious scholars.

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Author and article information

Contributors

Uta Dahmen:

Experimental Transplantation SurgeryDepartment of General, Visceral and Vascular SurgeryUniversity Hospital JenaDrackendorfer Street 1Jena, 07747Germany49 3641932535149 36419325352Uta.Dahmen@med.uni-jena.de

ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3483-3388

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Interact J Med Res

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Interact J Med Res

Journal ID (publisher-id): IJMR

Title: Interactive Journal of Medical Research

Publisher: JMIR Publications Inc. (Toronto, Canada )

ISSN (Electronic): 1929-073X

Publication date Collection: Jul-Sep 2015

Publication date (Electronic): 28 July 2015

Volume: 4

Issue: 3

Electronic Location Identifier: e16

Affiliations

[1] ¹Experimental Transplantation Surgery Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery University Hospital Jena JenaGermany

[2] ²Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery University Hospital Jena JenaGermany

[3] ³Institute for Pathology Klinikum Chemnitz GmbH ChemnitzGermany

Author notes

Corresponding Author: Uta Dahmen Uta.Dahmen@ 123456med.uni-jena.de

Author information

Tobias Terbonssen http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3148-0724

Utz Settmacher http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7480-3629

Christine Wurst http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9488-4374

Olaf Dirsch http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2791-2061

Uta Dahmen http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3483-3388

Article

Publisher ID: v4i3e16

DOI: 10.2196/ijmr.4287

PMC ID: 4705356

PubMed ID: 26220442

SO-VID: dbb2c79a-0194-4266-b130-7cf9e402a693

License:

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in the Interactive Journal of Medical Research, is properly cited. The complete bibliographic information, a link to the original publication on http://www.i-jmr.org/, as well as this copyright and license information must be included.

History

Date received : 25 January 2015

Date revision requested : 29 April 2015

Date revision received : 26 May 2015

Date accepted : 31 May 2015

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