Knowledge Gaps and Educational Needs in Organ Donation: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease and Their Families.

BACKGROUND: Insufficient knowledge has been consistently identified as a major barrier to organ donation, influencing attitudes, perceptions, and willingness to participate. OBJECTIVE: To assess knowledge levels regarding organ donation among patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and their relatives, and to identify educational needs associated with organ donation attitudes and willingness. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted between December 2020 and September 2021 at 2 tertiary healthcare centers in Greece: the University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis and the General Hospital of Komotini (Sismanoglio). A total of 178 participants were included, comprising 104 patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and 74 relatives. Adult patients with ESRD receiving dialysis treatment and accompanying adult relatives were recruited using convenience sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire assessing knowledge, awareness, and attitudes toward organ donation. Associations between categorical variables were analyzed using chi-square (χ²) tests, with statistical significance set at p < .05. RESULTS: A substantial proportion of participants demonstrated insufficient knowledge regarding organ donation (58%). The most common misconceptions included misunderstanding eligibility criteria (45%), lack of awareness of donation procedures (52%), and incorrect perceptions of organ allocation systems (39%). Lower knowledge levels were significantly associated with reduced willingness to donate organs (p = .01) and greater hesitation toward organ donation (p = .02). Relatives demonstrated lower knowledge levels than patients (61% vs. 55%, p = .04). Higher knowledge levels were significantly associated with more positive attitudes toward organ donation (p = .01). CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge levels were significantly associated with organ donation attitudes and willingness among patients with ESRD and their relatives. Relatives demonstrated lower knowledge levels than patients. These findings highlight the importance of educational needs within this population and may help inform future educational initiatives, public health strategies, and further research.