Horizons in TransplantationOrgan donationVideo-Based E-Learning in Communication Skills for Physicians Provides Higher Agreement to Tissue Donation

•In-hospital objection to tissue donation by the next of kin frequently occurs, which appears to be the main reason for the loss of potential tissue donors.•Video-based E-learning in communication skills for physicians provides a higher rate of agreement to tissue donation.Other means may increase family approval:•When the video-based E-learning program is offered as mandatory to all physicians, supported by their supervisors, and•When, during life, the person registers his or her wishes regarding organ and tissue donation in the donor register and/or discusses this with relatives.

BackgroundIn hospitals, physicians are rarely confronted with tissue donation. Besides correctly identifying an eligible tissue donor, the physician also must deal with the bereaved family. When the immediate family members were asked to consent for tissue donation, objection by the next of kin appears to be the main reason for the loss of potential tissue donors, if no registration is found in the donor register. Therefore, physicians' guidance of next of kin through the consent process for tissue donation is an essential part of the recruitment process and requires adequate communication about donation skills and techniques. We analyzed if physicians educated with a video-based E-learning program on “communication about donation skills” successfully contributes to a higher consent rate for tissue donation.MethodsThis retrospective study was conducted in 2014 in a Dutch teaching hospital. Two groups of physicians were compared; physicians receiving a lecture on “tissue donation” and physicians receiving additional E-learning on “communication about donation.” The results were analyzed on the outcome “obtained consent” for tissue donation from next of kin.ResultsAnalyses show that physicians receiving a lecture about organ and tissue donation extended with video-based E-learning on communication about donation obtain a significantly (P ≤ .011) higher consent rate (55.6%) for tissue donation compared with physicians who only receive a lecture (15.5%).ConclusionsA mandatory offer for physicians to follow E-learning on communication about donation must be considered. This could help the availability of tissue donors.