Knowledge, Attitude, Barriers and Enablers to Kidney Donation From Caregivers’ Perspective: A Qualitative Design Caregivers’ Perspective on Kidney Donation

Abstract

Background: Globally, chronic kidney disease is a growing cause of death. Although kidney donation can help lower mortality, there is a clear organ shortage. Data on the obstacles and enablers of kidney donation, as seen from the perspective of caregivers, are scarce. Objective: To investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and enablers of participants towards kidney donation. Materials and Methods: Nine caregivers from a Nigerian tertiary hospital participated in a focus group discussion. The audio recordings were transcribed verbatim before being thematically analyzed. Results: The focus group participants included five males and four females with a mean age of 38.25±9.53 years. Most participants agreed that kidney donation is the act of giving one's kidney to someone else who is in need of it in order to save that person's life and that most kidneys come from voluntary donors who do so out of compassion for others and for financial gain. Most participants said that they will not donate or encourage someone else to donate because of the risks associated with surgery and living with one kidney. Participants suggested that incentives including financial gains, free medical care for living donors, and public awareness of the risks and benefits of kidney donation could persuade more people to donate their kidneys. Conclusion: The study's findings demonstrate a high level of understanding regarding kidney donation. It draws attention to the carers' reluctance to donate and suggests tenable ideas which could motivate others to come forward as kidney donors.