ATTITUDE TO BRAIN DEATH ORGAN DONATION AND THE REPORTING OF POTENTIAL BRAIN DEATH - FOCUSING ON DIP NON-AGREEMENT HOSPITALS

The number of potential brain death cases reported to the Korea Organ Donation Agency (KODA) has been increasing steadily since the introduction of the potential brain death report system in June 2011. Among 1,615 cases reported in 2014, however, 72% were reported by 66 hospitals that agreed upon the Donation Improvement Program (DIP), and the reporting rate among 322 DIP non-agreement hospitals was far lower. This study surveyed medical workers sampled from 94 hospitals with 300 or more beds throughout the country, which did not enter into a DIP agreement with KODA, using a structured questionnaire, and analyzed collected data in comparison with the data of 2014 DIP. Continuous education is required in order to enhance medical workers' knowledge about brain death organ donation and to increase the rate of potential brain death reporting, and it is necessary to consider the application of DIP for finding potential brain death cases and for establishing an in hospital report system.