Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices in relation to eye donation awareness among healthcare personnel in a tertiary care hospital and medical college in North India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted targeting medical students, resident doctors, faculty, nursing, and paramedical staff at a tertiary care hospital and medical college in New Delhi. Responses to a semi-structured questionnaire were collected from 337 respondents using an online Google Forms, which were analyzed using IBM SPSS software version 22. Results: 51.9% ( n = 176) of the respondents showed good knowledge levels and awareness regarding eye donation. The attitude was positive, and willingness toward eye donation was present in 76.8% ( n = 259) of the respondents. 74.7% ( n = 252) of the participants demonstrated good practices toward eye donation. Among all the respondents, faculty and nursing staff had a higher knowledge level compared to residents and paramedical staff. Nursing staff had a more positive attitude toward eye donation compared to the other categories. The most common deterrents against eye donation were lack of knowledge and motivation, followed by religious reasons and a fear of facial disfigurement. Conclusion: Eye donation awareness curriculum must be introduced at all levels of training and for all levels of medical professionals. The focus should not be just on the impartment of adequate and sound knowledge but also changing the attitude and encouraging positive practices. Eye donation is a noble act toward humanity, and we as healthcare professionals should be on the frontline in the fight against treatable blindness.
Jain et al. (Thu,) studied this question.