Mind the Gap: Disparities in Education on Organ Donation and Transplantation-Results of a Global Survey.

Background: Widely accessible education on organ donation and transplantation (ODT) is a tool to reduce waiting lists, as <10% of transplant needs are met (Global Observatory on Donation and Transplantation). We aimed to assess the current state of access to education on ODT worldwide. Methods: We surveyed transplant physicians and surgeons worldwide. Respondents were classified according to the mean deceased donation (DD) rate per million population (PMP) of their countries from 2016 to 2021 (excluding 2020): Group (G) 1 (G1) no DD reported, or no data provided to Global Observatory on Donation and Transplantation; (G2) <10 DD PMP; (G3) 10-19.9; (G4) 20-29.9; and (G5) ≥30. We inquired about the availability of education on ODT in countries and regions. Results: We analyzed 311 respondents. We observed that the availability of education on ODT was as follows: in postgraduate education (77.2% in countries, 70.4% in regions), in undergraduate medical school (52.8%, 50.6%), in elementary school (14.2%, 14.2%), in high school (24.6%, 25.7%), and for the public (58.8%, 57.2%). The highest challenges were observed mainly in countries with lower DD rates. Conclusions: This worldwide survey suggests that there are areas for improvement at a global level in education on ODT, spanning from schoolchildren to the public and from undergraduate to postgraduate medical students. This is a "Call to Action" to close the global education gap.