Authors: (including presenting author): :
WU Maggie Wun-king1, WONG Catherine Suet-man1, WONG Candy Suet-Man1, CHOW Vanissa Wing-see1, 2
Affiliation: :
1 Hospital Authority Eye Bank, 2 Hong Kong Eye Hospital
Keyword 2: :
Eye donation
Keyword 3: :
Palliative care
Introduction: :
Corneal availability relies heavily on voluntary, non-remunerated eye donations within a society that follows an opt-in system. However, limited knowledge and awareness about eye donation continue to hinder donation rates in Hong Kong. Clinical staff working in palliative care play a vital advocacy role in promoting eye donation. This study examined the impact of a structured eye donation talk on enhancing their awareness and knowledge.
Objectives: :
To evaluate the impact on a structured eye donation talk on clinical staff’ awareness and knowledge
Methodology: :
A structured eye donation promotion talk was delivered to clinical staff supporting end-of-life care patients in one of the oncology wards at Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital. Identical pre-talk and post-talk questionnaires were evaluated to assess changes in awareness and knowledge.
Result & Outcome: :
[Results] A total of 22 pre-talk and 16 post-talk questionnaires were submitted by clinical staff, including doctor, nurses, allied health professionals, chaplaincy, and support staff. The questionnaire comprised 15 questions and the majority results indicated an increase in awareness following the talk, with improvements ranging from 2.9–71.1%. Understanding of the age limitation for corneal donation rose significantly from 22.7% to 93.8%. Interestingly, support for corneal donation showed a slight decline, dropping from 100% to 93.8%. [Conclusion]
The well-structured educational talk demonstrated a significant improvement in palliative care staff’s knowledge and awareness regarding eye donation. Design of content should be carefully to engage staff and promote donation support.
