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AIM: The aim of the study was to assess knowledge, awareness, and practices about eye donation in medical students of medical colleges. Setting: Tertiary Care Centre. Design: This study involves a cross-sectional study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study at a tertiary care center in Western Vidarbha from August 2023 to October 2023, among medical students. Approval from the institutional ethical committee was taken. A total of 538 students participated in the study. After taking consent, data were collected in self-reported questionnaire consisting of questions about the knowledge and awareness of eye donation, the source of their information, willingness for donation, and respective reasons for willingness and nonwillingness. Data were analyzed. Results: Majority of students belonged to the age group between 21 and 30 years. Most were undergraduates, followed by interns and post-graduates. Five hundred and twenty-nine had heard about eye donation mainly through medical personnel. The majority of students believed that eye donation means giving sight to the blind. Most knew the nearest point of contact for eye donation. The answer given by most to the question “What is removed for transplantation?,” was cornea. The most common response to questions about a site for the removal of eyes was the hospital. The majority knew that no monetary benefits were given for donations. Those willing to pledge their eyes wanted to do so to help the blind, and those not willing said objection by family as the main reason among others. Conclusion: After the study, we concluded that awareness about eye donation was good in the students, while knowledge regarding eye donation varied among the students. Willingness to donate showed mixed responses.

INTRODUCTION: Sight is crucial for our existence. In India, corneal opacity is the leading cause of blindness among people aged 0–49 years. The only treatment for corneal blindness is transplantation, necessitating increased awareness, and dispelling myths about eye donation. This study was conducted to assess the knowledge and practice regarding eye donation among degree college students of Belagavi city. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1018 degree college students from Belagavi, selected through proportionate sampling. The data were collected using a pretested questionnaire. Collected data were entered using Microsoft Excel and analyzed in SPSS software. RESULTS: The mean ± standard deviation age of participants was 20.15 ± 1.04 years. Among the 1018 students, 12.88% of them had good knowledge score, 65.91% had average knowledge score, and 21.21% had poor knowledge score regarding eye donation. Around 331 (32.50%) of the students had favorable practice score for eye donation activities. CONCLUSION: The study highlights that while most students were aware of eye donation, detailed knowledge and favorable practice was less prevalent. Targeted educational programs could enhance these aspects, ultimately increasing corneal donation rates.

Background: To study and make a comparative analysis on knowledge, attitude, and practice pattern regarding eye donation amongst MBBS, BDS, Homeopathy and Nursing students in a tertiary care medical college hospital in Central India. Materials and Methods: It is a population based cross sectional study involving 369 MBBS & Paramedical students. A structured questionnaire including 21 questions divided in three sections assessing knowledge, attitude and practice pattern is noted. Chi square test is done for dependent and independent variables. Test performed at 95% confidence interval with p value <0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: Mean knowledge score was 3.875±2.185. MBBS students had a mean score of 5.150 (SD = 1.400, range 1-9) indicating a higher level of knowledge than other medical courses. Knowledge score among nursing students was the least 2.180 (SD = 2.222, range 0-7). Willingness to donate eyes also showed a significant association with knowledge (χ2=371.471, p<0.001). Conclusion: MBBS students had better knowledge than paramedic students. Higher knowledge is linked to positive attitude towards eye donation. The practice pattern regarding pledging is poor in all the students. Thus, structured eye donation awareness programmes targeting medical and paramedical students are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organ, tissue, and eye donations provide opportunities to leave a legacy by saving and/or enhancing the quality of life of others. There has been little published related to tissue or eye donation in hospice/palliative care and few initiatives to facilitate donation among hospice patients/ families. Donation myths, gaps in knowledge, and, most significantly, lack of donation referral processes result in missed opportunities for patient/families to consider donation. One donor has the potential to impact 75 lives or more through tissue donation and 2 lives through eye donation. Hospice/palliative care providers can play key roles related to education, advocacy, and collaboration. The support of hospice/palliative care organizations and the local Organ Procurement Organization/Tissue and Eye Recovery Agency are essential for facilitating donation opportunities. This article summarizes current literature, examines legislation and regulations related to donation, presents a case that illustrates an opportunity for hospice community based donation, and shares practices that support donation in hospice/palliative care organizations together with the local Organ Procurement Organization/ Tissue and Eye Recovery Agency. This article will hopefully provide the impetus for further study and the development of practices to optimize donation in hospice/ palliative care, thus providing more patients and families the opportunity to turn loss into legacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background There is a severe shortage of corneas for donation, globally, for transplantation and research purposes. One group of individuals who could potentially be donors are those who die within the inpatient palliative care unit. The aim of the study was to understand clinician and patient perceptions of corneal donations and discussion of donation in palliative care units. Methods A qualitative design was utilised with data collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using qualitative content analysis. A total of 46 interviews were undertaken involving inpatient palliative care unit patients (19) and clinicians (27) in three major inpatient palliative care units in South Australia. Results Very few patient participants reported being asked about corneal donations during their time in palliative care. Most inpatient palliative care unit clinicians did not raise the topic as they felt other areas of care took precedence. Inpatient palliative care unit patients thought if inpatient palliative care unit clinicians did not raise the topic, then it was not important. There were some differences between patient and clinician views, such as preference about who raises the possibility of donation and when the discussion might occur. Conclusions Findings suggest that patients are receptive to discussing corneal donations, but clinicians are not initiating these. This is a missed opportunity for donors and potential recipients. We recommend that clinicians routinely discuss eye donation as part of palliative care.

Purpose: The Hospital Corneal Retrieval Program (HCRP) aims to counsel and encourage the family of a critically ill or deceased person in the hospital for eye donation. Adequately sensitized health-care workers (HCWs) may play a pivotal role in boosting HCRP. Study Design: Multicentric, cross-sectional, descriptive study. Methods: Study participants included all HCWs of three medical colleges, including one with eye bank and corneal transplant services. A pretested, structured questionnaire was used to record the awareness, knowledge, and attitude about eye donation among HCWs. The expected outcome was to seek differences in awareness, if any, among medical and paramedical workers of medical colleges with (group A) or without (group B) eye bank and corneal transplant facilities. Results: Of the 4060 study participants, 2100 HCWs were in group A and the rest (1960) were in group B. For eight out of 13 questions assessing awareness and perception, a statistically insignificant difference in responses was observed between the two groups. Regarding questions related to attitude, although the majority of HCWs in both groups were comfortable talking about eye donation, they did feel that counseling relatives of a terminally ill patient about eye donation was insensitive. Less than half of HCWs showed a willingness to donate eyes, and about half of the participants wanted to acquire more knowledge about eye donation. Conclusion: Awareness regarding eye donation among HCWs was mostly found to be at dismal levels, irrespective of whether they worked in an institute with or without eye bank and corneal transplant services. This warrants an accelerated effort at sensitizing HCWs as a strengthening measure for HCRP.

Background: The dynamics of eye donation and corneal transplantation is a beacon of hope in the life of a corneal blind person for sight restoration. Social virtues like altruism and helping others are reflected in the promotion of organ donation and in the metaphorical reference 'gift of life'. Youth is not merely a future potential donor, but also a transmitter of eye donation. Aim: The aim of the study was to outline various facets of eye donation among students using KAP model, to explore the role of youth on eye donation and to measure the relationship between the willingness for eye donation and different components of students. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire administrated to 1179 students of Panjab University and its five affiliated colleges in Chandigarh, India. Results: Only 3.5% of respondents were found to have a good level of knowledge regarding the subject. Nearly 21.8% of respondents expressed a positive attitude towards eye donation. There were only 2.6% of respondents who showed a high level of practice. Over 92.6% of respondents indicated that youth could play a positive role in the promotion of eye donation. The socio-demographic variables of the respondents, such as age, gender, and education level had a linear relationship with the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice (P ≤ 0.01). Conclusion: Findings showed a hypothetical relationship between knowledge, attitude and practice in context of eye donation. There was a poor level of knowledge, neutral attitude and low level of practice among students regarding eye donation.

In high-income countries where eye care is advanced, cornea harvesting is hidden from public view. Here entire eyeball enucleations performed on corpses are done in hospital morgues without mourners' presence. For the last two decades, the traditional public crematorium area next to the Pashupatinath temple at the holy river Bagmati east of Kathmandu, has become a major Nepal Eye Bank site for motivated cornea donations. To be cremated in the premises of the Pashupatinath temple is considered highly auspicious. After families have given their consent, the cremation rituals are briefly interrupted by the Nepal Eye Bank staff, and cornea button excisions are performed in public space. Thus, mourners regularly view and assist during the removal of cornea button tissues from the deceased before the bodies are burned on the open funeral pyres or in the electric crematorium. How is it that Nepali mourners at Pashupati crematorium accept and comply with cornea donation practice? I argue that cornea donation at Pashupati is a collective achievement accomplished by complex socio-material arrangements that bring together various professionals, procedural manuals, legal framework, equipment, medical intervention, the deceased body, and mourners during the cremation practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The dynamics of eye donation and corneal transplantation is a beacon of hope in the life of a corneal blind person for sight restoration. Social virtues like altruism and helping others are reflected in the promotion of organ donation and in the metaphorical reference 'gift of life'. Youth is not merely a future potential donor, but also a transmitter of eye donation. Aim: The aim of the study was to outline various facets of eye donation among students using KAP model, to explore the role of youth on eye donation and to measure the relationship between the willingness for eye donation and different components of students. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire administrated to 1179 students of Panjab University and its five affiliated colleges in Chandigarh, India. Results: Only 3.5% of respondents were found to have a good level of knowledge regarding the subject. Nearly 21.8% of respondents expressed a positive attitude towards eye donation. There were only 2.6% of respondents who showed a high level of practice. Over 92.6% of respondents indicated that youth could play a positive role in the promotion of eye donation. The socio-demographic variables of the respondents, such as age, gender, and education level had a linear relationship with the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice (P ≤ 0.01). Conclusion: Findings showed a hypothetical relationship between knowledge, attitude and practice in context of eye donation. There was a poor level of knowledge, neutral attitude and low level of practice among students regarding eye donation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objectives New routes for supply of eye tissue are needed in the UK to support transplant surgery and medical research. Hospice care (HC) and Hospital-based Palliative care (HPC) services represent potential supply routes. This paper reports findings from the survey arm of the Eye Donation from Palliative and Hospice Care–Investigating potential, practice preference and perceptions study (EDiPPPP), objectives of which were to: i) Investigate existing practice in relation to eye donation across HC and HPC settings; ii) identify perceptions of HCPs toward embedding eye donation into routine end of life care planning; iii) investigate the informational, training, or support needs of clinicians regarding eye donation. Design Online survey of UK-based HC and HPC clinicians, distributed through professional organisations (Association of Palliative Medicine (UK); Hospice UK). Participants One hundred fifty-six participants completed (63% HC; 37% HPC—8% response rate, of n = 1894 approached). Results Majority of participants (63%, n = 99) supported raising eye donation (ED) with patients and families and agreed that ED should be discussed routinely with eligible patients. However, 72%, (n = 95) indicated that staff within their clinical setting did not routinely discuss the option of ED in end-of-life care planning conversations with the majority of participants reporting that the option of ED was not ‘routinely discussed in multi-disciplinary team or other meetings. Conclusions Despite significant support, ED is not part of routine practice. Attention to barriers to embedding ED and reducing knowledge deficits are urgently needed to increase the supply of eye tissue for use in transplant operations.

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Objective:To compare quality and utilisation of donor cornea received by hospital cornea retrieval program (HCRP) vs voluntary donation Methods: Retrospective, observational study based on records of cornea collected through HCRP and Voluntary donation in the eye bank of a tertiary care centre in Jharkhand from January 2019 to April 2023. Quality of cornea was graded on slit lamp biomicroscopy. Also specular microscopy was done to evaluate status of endothelium. Results: A total of 144 corneas from 72 donors were collected, out of which 102(70.8%) were through HCRP and 42 were through Voluntary Donation.50% cornea were optical grade in the HCRP grp and 45.2% were optical in the Voluntary donation group. The utilisation rate in HCRP group was around 58.8% and 41.1% got rejected, where as in the voluntary group, 52.3% corneas were utilised and 47.6% got discarded. Conclusion: Optical grade quality and utilisation of cornea was significantly higher in the HCRP group as compared to voluntary donation group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: New routes for supply of eye tissue are needed in the UK to support transplant surgery and medical research. Hospice care (HC) and Hospital-based Palliative care (HPC) services represent potential supply routes. This paper reports findings from the survey arm of the Eye Donation from Palliative and Hospice Care–Investigating potential, practice preference and perceptions study (EDiPPPP), objectives of which were to: i) Investigate existing practice in relation to eye donation across HC and HPC settings; ii) identify perceptions of HCPs toward embedding eye donation into routine end of life care planning; iii) investigate the informational, training, or support needs of clinicians regarding eye donation. Design: Online survey of UK-based HC and HPC clinicians, distributed through professional organisations (Association of Palliative Medicine (UK); Hospice UK). Participants: One hundred fifty-six participants completed (63% HC; 37% HPC—8% response rate, of n = 1894 approached). Results: Majority of participants (63%, n = 99) supported raising eye donation (ED) with patients and families and agreed that ED should be discussed routinely with eligible patients. However, 72%, (n = 95) indicated that staff within their clinical setting did not routinely discuss the option of ED in end-of-life care planning conversations with the majority of participants reporting that the option of ED was not 'routinely discussed in multi-disciplinary team or other meetings. Conclusions: Despite significant support, ED is not part of routine practice. Attention to barriers to embedding ED and reducing knowledge deficits are urgently needed to increase the supply of eye tissue for use in transplant operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess and analyze the rate of knowledge, attitude, and practice patterns about eye donation among medical and healthcare professionals in a tertiary care hospital in eastern India. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study conducted on medical students, resident doctors, and nursing and paramedical staff at a tertiary institute in the year 2020. A pretested, structured questionnaire consisting of 28 questions in the three subsections based on knowledge and awareness, attitudes and beliefs, and practice patterns mainly willingness to donate eyes by pledging, was noted. All the responses were individually scored, and the total scores were calculated. Univariate analysis was done to find out the factors that had a positive or negative influence on the knowledge and willingness about eye donation. Results: Around 270 participants responded to this survey. The majority of the respondents (206, 76.3%) were below 30 years and 64.4% were males. Awareness about eye donation was 95.6% but a willingness to pledge was observed in 51.5% of participants. The total practice score was lower among nonmedicos compared with medicos (3.33 ± 1.22 vs 3.74 ± 0.64), (P < 0.001). On univariate analysis, the Crude Odds Ratio with a 95% confidence interval was 25.787 (5.18-128.33) in the occupational category (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The study reported an adequate knowledge level among doctors and healthcare workers. The practice pattern among the nursing staff and paramedical workers needs to be improved as they can play a pivotal role in strengthening the hospital corneal retrieval program. They can also be the key messengers during public awareness campaigns for eye donations in our country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rajesh Subhash Joshi, Pranshu Goel, Vaishnavi Hitesh Adatiya, Ayushi Sanjay Seth, Ashwini Vitthalrao Rasal Department of Ophthalmology, Government Medical College, Nagpur, Maharashtra, 440003, IndiaCorrespondence: Rajesh Subhash Joshi, Department of Ophthalmology, Government Medical College, Nagpur, Maharashtra, 440003, India, Email jrajesh5@rediffmail.comAim: To determine the awareness about and willingness to donate eyes among ambulance drivers in Central India.Design: Prospective, observational, noncomparative, and cross-sectional survey study.Setting: Tertiary eye care center in Central India.Methods: The present study used a structured questionnaire distributed to ambulance drivers during the eye donation fortnight (August 25–September 8, 2022). The questionnaire comprised four domains: awareness, knowledge beliefs, and willingness to donate eyes. The collected data were entered into an Excel sheet and analyzed using SPSS software.Results: Forty-seven ambulance drivers participated in the study. All participants were men. The results showed that 48.9% (n = 23) of the ambulance drivers had completed elementary or middle school education. Furthermore, 27 (57%) participants were aware of eye donation; however, only 14 (29.7%) realized its importance. The source of information was mobile phones (n = 20, 42.6%). The common reason for the nondonation of eyes was lack of awareness (n = 14 29.7%). Thirty-five (74.5%) ambulance drivers were willing to donate their eyes, and the most common reason was the gratification derived from helping blind people.Conclusion: The study revealed the need to improve awareness and knowledge about eye donation among the participants. Arranging short sessions round the year, addressing the myths associated with eye donation, and sharing motivational stories may help create awareness. Display of information and booklets on eye donation in the ambulance is likely to help in obtaining more corneas for transplantation.Keywords: corneal transplantation, eye donation, eye donation fortnight, awareness of eye donation

Background Over 2 million people in the United Kingdom are living with sight loss with costs to the United Kingdom economy reported as £4.34 billion annually. Conditions that lead to sight loss and impaired vision can be treated if eye tissue is available for corneal transplantation, reconstructive surgery and research into eye diseases. Supply of eye tissue (only available via eye donation) is currently insufficient to meet demand; therefore, new routes are needed. Hospice and hospital-based Palliative Care Services have been reported as potential donation sources of this tissue. Objectives To: (1) scope the size and clinical characteristics of the potential eye donation population from research sites; (2) map the donation climate of each research site; (3) identify factors that enable or challenge service providers to consider the option of eye donation from a local and national perspective; (4) identify service users’ views regarding the option of eye donation and the propriety of discussing eye donation; and (5) develop and pilot an empirically based intervention designed to change behaviours in relation to eye donation. Design A 36-month mixed-methods, multicentre study undertaking three work packages. Settings Three hospice care and three hospital-based palliative care services situated in the North, Midlands and the South of England (one service of each type per region). Participants Work package 1 – 105 service providers. Work package 2 – 62 service users, and 156 service providers in the national survey. Work package 3 – 21 expert consultees (patient and public involvement, cross discipline). Data sources Scoping review, retrospective note review, qualitative interviews/focus groups, participant observation, secondary analysis of primary data, national survey, transparent expert consultation. Results Potential: The retrospective notes review demonstrated that of 1199 deceased patients’ notes, 553 (46%) patients met the criteria for eye donation (56%, n = 337 in hospice care service settings and 36%, n = 216 in hospital palliative care service). Practice: Less than 4% of all cases agreed as eligible for donation had been approached or referred for eye donation. Eye donation is not currently an embedded practice at local and national levels. Perceptions: Service providers were motivated to discuss eye donation but lacked opportunity and capability. Service users were willing and able to hold conversations about eye donation but were not aware of the option and had not had the option discussed with them. Preferences: Service users wanted to be offered the option of eye donation, and service providers wanted bespoke education and training related to eye donation. Evaluation of the developed intervention STEPS – Support Toolkit for Eye donation in Palliative care Settings will follow implementation of the full intervention (expected to begin in October 2022). Limitations Due to the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical sites, partner organisations and national service providers, only two elements of the developed intervention have been pilot tested for proof of concept and the response rate to the national survey was low (8%). Conclusions Significant potential exists for eye donation from hospice care and hospital palliative care services; however, individual and organisational behaviour as well as information system-based changes are needed to maximise this potential. Future work Evaluation of the STEPS – Support Toolkit for Eye donation in Palliative care Settings; Research exploring the wider public knowledge and views regarding eye donation; research exploring the use of language by National Health Service Blood and Transplant-Tissue and Eye Services in their public-facing infographics, communications and campaigns (specifically the use of the term eye donation). Trial registration This trial is registered as ISRCTN14243635: Eye donation from palliative care and hospice care settings. Funding details This project was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health and Social Care Delivery Research programme (17/49/42) and will be published in full in Health and Social Care Delivery Research; Vol. 11, No. 20. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information. Plain language summary The Royal National Institute of Blind people report that over 2 million people in the United Kingdom are living with sight loss. This number is predicted to double to nearly 4 million by 2050. Conditions that lead to sight loss and impaired vision can be treated if eye tissue is available through, for example corneal transplantation, reconstructive surgery and research into eye diseases. However, the problem is that there is not enough eye tissue available to meet current need. Patients under the care of hospice care services and hospital palliative care services who, due to a cancer diagnosis, are unable to donate other organs or tissues, may be able to donate their eyes. To explore potential for eye donation in these settings, we looked at the clinical notes from patients who died in the previous 2 years to see if they could potentially have been a donor. We also interviewed patients and carers seeking their views regarding ‘if’, ‘when’ and ‘how’ a conversation about eye donation should take place within end-of-life care planning. We also asked healthcare professionals (via interviews and a national survey) about their views regarding eye donation being part of end-of-life planning, and what they saw as the key barriers to this becoming a routine practice. We found that many patients are eligible for eye donation, but very few are asked about this option, and that patients indicated they wanted this option raised with them so that they could make decisions about donation. A review of patient notes, healthcare professional interviews and survey responses indicate that eye donation is not part of the current routine clinical practice. Our work presents a clear case for a change to current practice so that patients who wish to donate are offered this opportunity as a part of routine end-of-life care, and that changes in the current practice require specific training initiatives and institutional support. Scientific summary Background Globally, the estimated number of visually impaired people is reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be 285 million, with 39 million individuals recorded as blind, and 246 million as having low vision. According to Pascolini and Mariotti, over 10 million of those reported as blind have bilateral corneal blindness, which could be restored with a corneal transplant. However, these individuals do not have access to sight-saving and sight-restoring transplantation surgery owing to a shortfall in supply of tissue (cornea and sclera) that is only available via eye donation (ED). According to the Royal National Institute of Blind (RNIB), over 2 million people in the UK have sight loss caused by conditions such as keratoconus and Fuchs’ corneal dystrophy, which can be treated if eye tissue is available (e.g. by corneal transplantation and reconstructive surgery). Eye tissue is also needed for research into a wide variety of diseases, for example, endothelial failure post cataract surgery. The RNIB reports that approximately 5000 corneal transplants are required annually in the UK to address disease and injury resulting in sight loss, with costs to the UK economy (through unpaid carer burden and reduced employment rates) reported as £4.34 billion annually. Critically, this organisation predicts that by 2050, the number of people with sight loss will double to nearly 4 million in the UK mainly owing to an aging population. It is, therefore, imperative that the tissue needed to intervene in these conditions and to support research into the causes and treatment of eye disease is available. The National Health Services Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) Tissue and Eye Services (TES) Bank in Speke, Liverpool (who supply most eyes for UK surgery) aim to achieve a weekly stock of 350 eyes so that they can provide 70 eyes every working day for treatment or research. From April 2021 to March 2022, donation of eyes from all sources (solid organ donation, tissue donation) generated 4555 eyes from 2286 donors equating to only 13 eyes per day and 88 eyes available per week. Significantly, the actual number of people waiting for a corneal transplant is difficult to confirm, as there is no centralised waiting list for patients who need a corneal transplant (unlike solid organ donation). A further pressure on the nationally reported donation rate of 4555 eyes is that approximately 30% will be discarded due to infection/viruses, with supply further compromised by a 28-day limit to storage requiring disposal of tissue thereafter. Therefore, as the current supply of eye tissue is insufficient to meet the demand, new routes of supply are needed. As hospice care (HC) and hospital-based palliative care (HPC) services have been reported as potential donation sources, the ED from palliative and hospice care contexts: investigating potential, practice, preference and perceptions (EDiPPPP) study investigated the potential of these locations to meet the current supply deficits. Research questions and study objectives Research Question (RQ1a): Potential – What is the potential for ED in HPC services and HC services? RQ1b: What consequences will any increase in ED from these settings have for NHSBT-TES in relation to resources/infrastructure/logistics? Objective 1: To scope the size and clinical characteristics of the potential ED population from research sites. Objective 2: To map the donation climate of each research site via a systematic assessment tool: the Rapid Assessment of hospital Procurement barriers in Donation (RAPiD). RQ2: Practice, Preference and Perceptions – What system-based/attitudinal and educational barriers/facilitators to ED influence the identification and referral of potential eye donors in clinical settings, and the embedding of ED in end-of-life care (EoLC) planning? Objective 3: Identify factors (attitudinal, behavioural) that enable or challenge service providers to consider and propose the option of ED as part of EoLC planning from a local and national perspective. Objective 4: Identify service users’ views regarding the option of ED and the propriety of discussing ED as part of admission procedures or as part of EoLC-planning conversations. RQ3: What behaviour change strategies will be effective in increasing ED across the community of service providers and service users within HPC and HC? Objective 5: Develop an empirically based theoretically informed intervention designed to change behaviours in relation to the identification, approach/request and referral of patients from HPC and HC for ED. Methods Eye donation from palliative and hospice care contexts: investigating potential, practice, preference and perceptions was structured in line with the six steps in quality intervention development (6SQuID) framework. Study design used mixed methods, applying theoretical perspectives and intervention mapping methodologies to deliver three interlinked and developmental work packages (WP). Data sources Literature review, retrospective note review (WP1), interviews/focus groups (WP1 and 2), participant observation (WP1), secondary analysis of primary data (WP2), national survey (WP2), transparent expert consultation (WP3). Participants Work package 1 – 105 healthcare professionals (HCPs) participated in interviews or focus groups. WP2 – 62 service users participated in interviews, 156 service providers participated in the national survey. WP3 – 21 expert consultees [patient and public involvement (PPI), cross-discipline HCP, stakeholder groups] participated in the transparent expert consultation (TEC). Data collection sites Three HC and three HPC services in the North, Midlands and the South of England (one of each service type in each region, for a total of two sites per region); online survey (UK). Data analysis Interviews and focus groups: qualitative content analysis, following the five-level qualitative data analysis (QDA) framework. Survey data: descriptive statistics for closed questions, qualitative content analysis for free-text questions. Results and findings The retrospective note review (WP1) indicated significant potential for ED across HC and HPC settings. Of the 1199 deceased patient case notes, 46% (n = 553) were agreed as being eligible for referral for ED [in HC settings 56% (n = 337) of cases and in HPC 36% (n = 216) of the cases were agreed as eligible]. Twenty-four per cent (n = 289) of all the cases were agreed as ineligible. In

Background: There is dearth of donor corneas available worldwide for transplantation since patients needing transplants far outnumber the cornea tissues available. Understanding, knowledge, attitude and beliefs about eye donation is key to address this shortage. It was with this aim that the present study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital among adult patients and accompanying attendants aged 18 years and above. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among patients and attendants (aged 18 years and above) visiting OPD of PG Department of Ophthalmology in a tertiary care hospital. The questionnaire elicited information on sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, attitude and beliefs about eye donation. Total number of respondents in the study was 340. Results: 95% of the males were aware of eye donation and newspaper/ TV was the main source of information. Higher proportion of females knew that donated eyes cannot cure all types of blindness (pvalue< 0.000). Majority of the respondents consider eye donation a service to mankind and about one-third believed that eye donation can lead to disfigurement. Belief that they would be born blind in the next birth if they donated eyes was higher among females (p-value<0.000). Conclusion: Although majority of respondents had good awareness about eye donation, yet willingness to donate eyes was less than desired. Authors recommend educational media campaigns, collaborations with medical personnel, partnerships with religious leaders, use of social media and educational sessions with medical students and staff to promote awareness about eye donation as well as to counter the myths among general population [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a need to identify additional routes of supply for ophthalmic tissue in the UK. This paper reports the findings from a national study exploring the potential for eye donation (ED) from three Hospice Care (HC) and three Hospital Palliative Care Services (HPC) in England. The objectives addressed in this paper are i.) to establish the size and describe the clinical characteristics of the potential eye donor population across six clinical sites; ii.) to identify challenges for clinicians in applying the standard ED criteria for assessing patient eligibility. Retrospective assessment of 1199 deceased patient case notes, 601 Hospice Care and 598 Hospital Palliative Care services, against current eye donation criteria. Clinicians' assessments were then evaluated against the same criteria. by specialists based at the National Health Service Blood and Transplant Tissue Services division (NHSBT-TS). Results of the assessment and evaluation are reported as descriptive statistics (numerical data). Free-text comment boxes facilitated clarification and/or justification of review and evaluation decisions. 46% (n = 553) of 1199 deceased patients' notes were agreed as eligible for eye donation (Hospice care settings = 56% (n = 337); Palliative care settings = 36% (n = 216). For all eligible cases (n = 553) the option of ED was recorded as being raised with family members in only 14 cases (3%). Significant potential exists for eye donation from the clinical sites in this study. This potential is not currently being realised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess and analyze the rate of knowledge, attitude, and practice patterns about eye donation among medical and healthcare professionals in a tertiary care hospital in eastern India. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study conducted on medical students, resident doctors, and nursing and paramedical staff at a tertiary institute in the year 2020. A pretested, structured questionnaire consisting of 28 questions in the three subsections based on knowledge and awareness, attitudes and beliefs, and practice patterns mainly willingness to donate eyes by pledging, was noted. All the responses were individually scored, and the total scores were calculated. Univariate analysis was done to find out the factors that had a positive or negative influence on the knowledge and willingness about eye donation. Results: Around 270 participants responded to this survey. The majority of the respondents (206, 76.3%) were below 30 years and 64.4% were males. Awareness about eye donation was 95.6% but a willingness to pledge was observed in 51.5% of participants. The total practice score was lower among nonmedicos compared with medicos (3.33 ± 1.22 vs 3.74 ± 0.64), (P < 0.001). On univariate analysis, the Crude Odds Ratio with a 95% confidence interval was 25.787 (5.18–128.33) in the occupational category (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The study reported an adequate knowledge level among doctors and healthcare workers. The practice pattern among the nursing staff and paramedical workers needs to be improved as they can play a pivotal role in strengthening the hospital corneal retrieval program. They can also be the key messengers during public awareness campaigns for eye donations in our country.

Purpose: To assess the perception of college-going girls toward corneal donation in Northern India. Methods: An online survey with a pre-structured, pre-validated questionnaire was conducted on 1721 college-going girls in Northern India. The knowledge and attitude scores were regressed, and latent class analysis was carried out. Results: The average of scores for all participants was computed individually for the knowledge questions and the attitude questions, and based on this score, total participants were divided into two groups: Better corneal donation behaviors (BCDB) and poor corneal donation behaviors. The binomial logistic regression model of knowledge domain for predicting BCDB, age of the participant, their awareness about corneal donation, and willingness to discuss eye donation among family members were found significant. Similarly, for the attitude domain, awareness about corneal donation, knowledge about hours within which ideal eye donation needs to be undertaken, and knowledge about eye donation during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic were found to be significant. Latent class analysis identified one subset of participants having poorer knowledge and attitude scores and that they were more from a rural background, were having more than first order as birth order, were belonging to SC/ST classes, had illiterate or secondary education of father and mother, and were living in rented houses. Conclusion: The findings of the study significantly contribute to devising a mechanism to improve knowledge and influencing the attitude about eye donation among the youth, especially young women, who can act as counselors and motivators for the masses as well as their own families, in the generations to come.

Purpose: To analyze the impact on eye donation and corneal transplantation during the COVID-19 pandemic in a tertiary eye hospital in south India. Methods: A retrospective analysis of the donor and recipient records during the study period from January 2020 to May 2021 was conducted and tabulated in Microsoft Excel 2013. Demographic details of the donor, utility rate, cause of death, culture characteristics, storage methods, wet lab usage, and the surgical donor outcomes were evaluated. Additionally, the postoperative workup of the recipients, diagnosis, graft infection and rejection episodes, development of COVID-19 postoperatively, and outcome in terms of visual acuity at one, three, and six months were also noted. Results: A total of 466 eyes from 249 donors were received during the study period. The mean age of the donor population was 62.43 years (20.9). The corneal transplantation utility rate was 36.4% (n = 170). Fifty-one percent of the total transplant surgeries were for therapeutic purposes. This was followed by penetrating optical keratoplasty (34%), Descemet's stripping endothelial keratoplasty (9%), and patch grafts (3%). Seventeen (10%) graft rejection episodes were noted and nine (53%) had complete resolution after medical treatment. Conclusion: Proper preventive measures are key to carrying out safe and efficient eye banking activities even during a deadly pandemic, as COVID-19 transmission via transplantation is rare.

Background: Cadavers are the mainstay of learning anatomy by dissection. Due to insufficient awareness of body donation, most of the medical institutions are facing a shortage of cadavers. Health-care professionals should have knowledge about the complete process of body donation, so that they can become motivators of organ and body donation. The present study was conducted to determine and compare the awareness, knowledge, and attitude regarding body donation among medical and paramedical students. Methodology: A cross-sectional and comparative study was conducted among 182 medical and 119 paramedical students through a pretested semistructured questionnaire via a Google form. The Chi-square test was used for the estimation of the P value. Results: 96.7% of medical students and 93.2% of paramedical students had heard about the concept of body donation. 31.8%medical and 49.5% of paramedical students (P < 0.00001) knew that body donation and eye donation can be done simultaneously. The cadavers available are not adequate was felt by 45% of medical and 42.8% of paramedical groups. 90.1% of medical and 86.5% of paramedical students opined for the inclusion of a chapter on body donation. The virtual anatomy table cannot be a substitute for body donation was perceived by 78% of medical and 15.1% of paramedical students (P < 000001). 34.6% of medical students and 56.3% of paramedical students have shown their willingness to donate their whole body and eyes. Conclusion: Although medical and paramedical students have heard about the concept of body donation, their awareness, knowledge, and attitude need to be improved.

Purpose: To analyze the impact on eye donation and corneal transplantation during the COVID-19 pandemic in a tertiary eye hospital in south India. Methods: A retrospective analysis of the donor and recipient records during the study period from January 2020 to May 2021 was conducted and tabulated in Microsoft Excel 2013. Demographic details of the donor, utility rate, cause of death, culture characteristics, storage methods, wet lab usage, and the surgical donor outcomes were evaluated. Additionally, the postoperative workup of the recipients, diagnosis, graft infection and rejection episodes, development of COVID-19 postoperatively, and outcome in terms of visual acuity at one, three, and six months were also noted. Results: A total of 466 eyes from 249 donors were received during the study period. The mean age of the donor population was 62.43 years (20.9). The corneal transplantation utility rate was 36.4% (n = 170). Fifty-one percent of the total transplant surgeries were for therapeutic purposes. This was followed by penetrating optical keratoplasty (34%), Descemet's stripping endothelial keratoplasty (9%), and patch grafts (3%). Seventeen (10%) graft rejection episodes were noted and nine (53%) had complete resolution after medical treatment. Conclusion: Proper preventive measures are key to carrying out safe and efficient eye banking activities even during a deadly pandemic, as COVID-19 transmission via transplantation is rare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the perception of college-going girls toward corneal donation in Northern India. Methods: An online survey with a pre-structured, pre-validated questionnaire was conducted on 1721 college-going girls in Northern India. The knowledge and attitude scores were regressed, and latent class analysis was carried out. Results: The average of scores for all participants was computed individually for the knowledge questions and the attitude questions, and based on this score, total participants were divided into two groups: Better corneal donation behaviors (BCDB) and poor corneal donation behaviors. The binomial logistic regression model of knowledge domain for predicting BCDB, age of the participant, their awareness about corneal donation, and willingness to discuss eye donation among family members were found significant. Similarly, for the attitude domain, awareness about corneal donation, knowledge about hours within which ideal eye donation needs to be undertaken, and knowledge about eye donation during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic were found to be significant. Latent class analysis identified one subset of participants having poorer knowledge and attitude scores and that they were more from a rural background, were having more than first order as birth order, were belonging to SC/ST classes, had illiterate or secondary education of father and mother, and were living in rented houses. Conclusion: The findings of the study significantly contribute to devising a mechanism to improve knowledge and influencing the attitude about eye donation among the youth, especially young women, who can act as counselors and motivators for the masses as well as their own families, in the generations to come. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, awareness and attitude of eye donation among non-clinical staff of tertiary eye hospitals and to convey a positive attitude toward eye donation by enhancing their awareness and knowledge. Methods: An online cross-sectional study was conducted among the non-clinical staff from all centers of a tertiary eye care hospital across Tamil Nadu. Quiz link was emailed to non-clinical staff of all the centers. On completion of the quiz, the participants viewed their respective scores and the correct answers to all questions. This activity was presumed to subsequently improve their knowledge and clear up the myths on eye donation. Results: Two hundred twenty-eight non-clinical staff from 11 hospitals participated in the quiz. Mean age was 35.3 ± 9.8 years and 130 were female staff (57.05%). One hundred eighty-one participants (79.39%) scored over 50% of the total 17 queries. One hundred eighty-six (81.58%) and 142 (62.28%) participants scored over 50% in the awareness section and knowledge section, respectively. Eye bank volunteers (73, 32.02%) were the main source of information. Twenty-four (10.53%) had already taken pledge for eye donation and 175 (76.75%) were willing to pledge, 29 (12.72%) were not willing to pledge. Twenty-two out of these 29 (75.86%) had no specific reason for not pledging. Family, religious reasons, lack of clarity and fear were least cited reasons (13.79%). Conclusion: Non-clinical staff of an eye hospital are easily approachable and are expected to be more knowledgeable by the general public around them. They might act as primary motivators in raising awareness within their family, friends, relatives and neighbors.

Introduction: Corneal transplantation is the only option to treat corneal blindness. However, the corneal procurement rate is much less than the requirement. Barriers to eye donation need to be studied. Aim: The aim of this study is to understand the knowledge, awareness, and perception toward eye donation and the determination of barriers to eye donation among university students and to conduct an awareness campaign and determination of its effectiveness. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 graduation students of paramedical and nonparamedical department with the help of questionnaire. An awareness program was carried out through PowerPoint presentation. Responses were elicited pre- and post-awareness program. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software version 16. Results: The findings suggest that knowledge and awareness were slightly higher among paramedical students but the willingness for eye donation was higher among nonparamedical students as compared to paramedical students. The prime source of information was doctors/optometrists and media. In both the groups, female and Hindu participants showed more willingness toward eye donation. Barriers to eye donation was the lack of awareness and inappropriate knowledge including various myths and superstitions. Knowledge, awareness, and willingness for eye donation pre- and post-awareness program was comparable between both the groups. Awareness program resulted in statistically significant increase in positive attitude and willingness toward eye donation in both the groups. Conclusion: Effective measures including awareness campaign need to be taken such as education on eye donation through which procurement of cornea can be increased and burden of corneal blindness can be minimized.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, awareness and attitude of eye donation among non-clinical staff of tertiary eye hospitals and to convey a positive attitude toward eye donation by enhancing their awareness and knowledge.Methods: An online cross-sectional study was conducted among the non-clinical staff from all centers of a tertiary eye care hospital across Tamil Nadu. Quiz link was emailed to non-clinical staff of all the centers. On completion of the quiz, the participants viewed their respective scores and the correct answers to all questions. This activity was presumed to subsequently improve their knowledge and clear up the myths on eye donation.Results: Two hundred twenty-eight non-clinical staff from 11 hospitals participated in the quiz. Mean age was 35.3 ± 9.8 years and 130 were female staff (57.05%). One hundred eighty-one participants (79.39%) scored over 50% of the total 17 queries. One hundred eighty-six (81.58%) and 142 (62.28%) participants scored over 50% in the awareness section and knowledge section, respectively. Eye bank volunteers (73, 32.02%) were the main source of information. Twenty-four (10.53%) had already taken pledge for eye donation and 175 (76.75%) were willing to pledge, 29 (12.72%) were not willing to pledge. Twenty-two out of these 29 (75.86%) had no specific reason for not pledging. Family, religious reasons, lack of clarity and fear were least cited reasons (13.79%).Conclusion: Non-clinical staff of an eye hospital are easily approachable and are expected to be more knowledgeable by the general public around them. They might act as primary motivators in raising awareness within their family, friends, relatives and neighbors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Corneal transplantation is the only option to treat corneal blindness. However, the corneal procurement rate is much less than the requirement. Barriers to eye donation need to be studied. Aim: The aim of this study is to understand the knowledge, awareness, and perception toward eye donation and the determination of barriers to eye donation among university students and to conduct an awareness campaign and determination of its effectiveness. Methods: A cross‑sectional study was conducted among 300 graduation students of paramedical and nonparamedical department with the help of questionnaire. An awareness program was carried out through PowerPoint presentation. Responses were elicited pre and post‑awareness program. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software version 16. Results: The findings suggest that knowledge and awareness were slightly higher among paramedical students but the willingness for eye donation was higher among nonparamedical students as compared to paramedical students. The prime source of information was doctors/optometrists and media. In both the groups, female and Hindu participants showed more willingness toward eye donation. Barriers to eye donation was the lack of awareness and in appropriate knowledge including various myths and superstitions. Knowledge, awareness, and willingness for eye donation pre‑ and post‑awareness program was comparable between both the groups. Awareness program resulted in statistically significant increase in positive attitude and willingness toward eye donation in both the groups. Conclusion: Effective measures including awareness campaign need to be taken such as education on eye donation through which procurement of cornea can be increased and burden of corneal blindness can be minimized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The need for eye tissue for use in sight saving and sight restoring surgery is a global issue. Approximately 53% of the world's population has no access to interventions such as corneal transplantation. Low levels of eye tissue impact on service providers such as National Health Service Blood and Transplant who aim to achieve a weekly stock of 350 eyes but do not meet this target. Aim: Patients who die in hospice and palliative care settings could be potential donors; therefore the aim of this systematic scoping review was to identify the potential for eye donation and barriers toward it from these clinical contexts. Design: A scoping review following the Joanna Briggs scoping review methodology was applied to search the global literature. Results: 13 articles from the global literature were retrieved. Evidence indicate that 542 patients could potentially have donated their eyes. Key barriers to increasing eye donation include the reluctance of healthcare professionals to raise the option of eye donation and the evidenced lack of awareness of patients and family members about donation options and eligibility. This review also indicates a lack of clinical guidance drawn from high-quality evidence proposing interventions that could inform clinical practice and service development. Conclusion: The scoping review presented here provides an up-to-date view of the current potential for, perceptions toward, and practice underpinning offering the option of eye donation to dying patients and their family members in hospice and palliative care context.

This writeup deals with the basics of Eye Donation, from who can and cannot donate, how to counsel patients, how to pledge one's eyes, the responsibilities of a donor's family in the donation process. It also touches upon removal of the donor corneal tissue, processing and preservation of donor cornea at the Eye Bank, and the impact of COVID-19 on the eye donation scenario.

Purpose: Cognizant and well aware medical and nursing students are expected to influence and positively mold the eye donation rates in India. Keeping this in view, this study was designed to assess and compare eye donation awareness among medical and nursing students. Methods: A cross-sectional and comparative study undertaken on the occasion of eye donation fortnight among 112 medical and 115 nursing students. A pretested semi-structured questionnaire on eye donation was given to each student after getting informed consent. The software used for analysis of data was SPSS version 22.0. Results: All the medical students and 91.3% of nursing students (P < 0.0016) had heard about eye donation. Eye donation fortnight is celebrated every year to create awareness was known to 42% of medical students and 29.5% of nursing students (P < 0.05). Television, newspaper, magazines, and posters were found to be important sources of information in both groups. Eye donation can give vision to the blind was the primary motivational force both among medical and nursing students (P < 0.001). The ideal time of eye donation is within 6 h of death was known to 69% of medical students and 60.9% nursing students. Lack of awareness and objection of family members are the two significant perceived responses to non-donation in both groups. 88.4% of medical students and 79.1% of nursing students are willing to donate their eyes in future. Conclusion: The awareness of eye donation among medical students is better than nursing students. However, the willingness to pledge their eyes is almost equal in both groups.

A death radically rearranges kinship, debt, obligation, and responsibility, and it also triggers prescribed routines for mourning and material disposal of the corpse. It is into this complex and fraught unfolding of events that the rhetorics of corporeal

Purpose: To study the awareness, knowledge and willingness about eye donation among first year medical (MBBS) students and first year General Nursing and midwifery (GNM) & first year BSc nursing students. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study by a semi-structured questionnaire undertaken in August 2019 among 106 first year MBBS students of a medical college of north Kolkata, eastern India, 40 first year GNM nursing students & 45 first year BSc nursing students of a nursing college situated within the premises of that medical college. Results: All the 191 students were aware about eye donation. Among them 143 students (74.87%) were willing to donate their eyes. Eighty nine (84%) medical students, 40 (100%) GNM nursing students and 43 (95.6%) BSc nursing students knew the ideal time of eye donation (p=0.005). Seventy five (70.8%) medical students, 39 (97.5%) GNM nursing students and 30 (66.7%) BSc nursing students were aware that cornea of the donor eye is used after eye collection (p= 0.001). On multiple regression analysis the willingness to donate eyes was significantly high among GNM students (OR 3.862; 95% CI: 1.262 to 11.817, p= .018) who acquired their knowledge mostly from the class lectures (27; 67.5%). Conclusion: Despite this high level of awareness and willingness there is a lacuna of knowledge regarding whom and how to approach for eye donation. Intense propaganda by observance of World Sight Day & National Eye Donation Fortnight in India and laying stress on Hospital Cornea Recovery Programs (HCRP) could improve the situation.

Introduction: Corneal blindness in developing countries mainly affects the younger population. About 95% of corneal blindness can be avoided. The economic burden to society is much higher with corneal blindness compared to cataracts. Corneal transplant (Keratoplasty) is the primary vision restoring procedure to rehabilitate patients with corneal blindness. The procedure requires viable corneal tissue. The corneal tissues are procured either by voluntary eye donations or through the Hospital Cornea Retrieval Programme (HCRP). The objective of HCRP is to encourage potential eye donations from hospital deaths by utilising a combined method of motivation and grief counselling. Aim: To find the possibility of cornea retrieval in the district hospital of Tumakuru, Karnataka, India. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study analysed the number of hospital deaths at district hospital, Tumakuru, Karnataka, India, between January 2016 and December 2016. The study was conducted at the same hospital from May 2017 to July 2017. Patient demographics, systemic illnesses, treatment received, and cause of death were obtained from the 757 medical records. Analysis was done for potential corneal donors as per the National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB) guidelines. Results: The total number of deaths were 679, which included 375 (55.23%) males and 304 (44.77%) females with maximum death in age group 71-80 years. Of the total deaths, those between 3 and 40 years of age were 196 (28.86%). After excluding the contraindications of cornea retrieval as per NPCB guidelines, 1016 corneas could have been retrieved out of 508 (74.8%) deceased. Conclusion: Hospital cornea retrieval programme can immensely contribute to fill the deficiency of donor corneal tissue. The present study concluded that upto 74.8% of corneas could have been potentially retrieved and indicates a vast potential to reduce the deficit of corneal tissues.

Background Corneal blindness affects millions across India. Corneal transplantation is the primary treatment; however, there is a severe shortage of donor corneas. This study aimed to assess awareness, knowledge, and attitudes towards corneal donation among medical students and professionals, identify barriers to donation, and explore popular information sources for promoting awareness about corneal transplants and eye donation. Methods Using a validated, self-administered questionnaire, this cross-sectional study surveyed 350 medical undergraduates, postgraduates, and doctors. Data collection occurred over a period of three months via Google Forms (Mountain View, CA: Google LLC). The questionnaire assessed knowledge about corneal donation criteria, willingness to donate corneas, factors influencing donation decisions, and sources of awareness about corneal transplants. Ethical clearance was obtained, and data was analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 (Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.). Results Regarding donor eligibility, 269 (76.9%) knew that anyone regardless of age can donate, 270 (77.1%) knew that donation occurs postmortem, 269 (68.3%) knew the time limit for cornea collection, only 133 (38%) knew medical conditions impacting donor eligibility, and 250 (71.4%) knew only corneal tissue is retrieved. A large number, 333 (95.1%), are aware of the functions of eye banks. Of the participants, 228 (65.1%) were willing to donate their corneas. Popular reasons for donations included helping blind people improve their quality of life and the nobility of the act. The main barriers include a lack of awareness, a desire to preserve the body, health issues, and ethical concerns during extraction. The most preferred sources of information are social media, health workers/eye camps, TV advertisements, and celebrity endorsements. Overall, doctors and postgraduates demonstrated superior knowledge in most areas compared to undergraduates, and ophthalmologists showed higher knowledge in specific domains (like age limits, factors affecting the eligibility of eye donors, time frame for cornea harvesting, and the identification of certain diseases and conditions barring donation) than non-ophthalmologists. Conclusion Our research uncovered knowledge deficits regarding corneal donation criteria and procedures mainly among undergraduate students. The findings highlight the importance of impactful educational initiatives that utilize preferred communication channels. These efforts should address myths and misconceptions, analyze vital motivating factors, overcome barriers, and understand cultural perspectives influencing the overall attitude towards corneal donation., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Ethical Committee of Bijapur Lingayat District Educational University (BLDE) (Deemed to be University), Vijayapura issued approval #BLDE(DU)/IEC/1006/2023-24. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: Nakshatra Bullapur declare(s) a grant from Bijapur Lingayat District Educational University (BLDE) (Deemed to be University). BLDE (Deemed to be University) has issued grant #BLDE(DU)/REG/UG-RG/2023-24/1062 to Nakshatra Bullapur under the guidance of Dr. Rekha Mudhol for the undergraduate research project titled "Awareness of Corneal Transplant, Attitudes, and Willingness towards Eye Donation among Medical Students and Professionals". Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Mudhol et al.)

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Organ Donor website is a federal government source providing information and educational resources about organ donation and transplantation. Within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the Division of Transplantation (DoT) acts as the principal organization overseeing organ and blood stem cell transplant systems in the United States. The HRSA developed this resource with the goal of educating the public and increasing the number of national organ and stem cell donations. The primary aim of this website is to provide educational tools and resources to promote public awareness and education of organ donations and transplantations, as well as providing connections to the national transplant waitlist and scientific registry of transplant recipients. The website, found at <> also provides links to the legislation and policy related to donation and transplantation, as well as further reading on the topics of grant and research programs and advisory committees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Globally, there are 45 million blind people with an annual increase of 1–2 million. Corneal blindness is the 4th leading cause of blindness. The demand for donor’s eyes is much higher than the number of donor’s eyes collected, and the number of corneal transplants done is insufficient. One of the reasons for reduced eye donation is the lack of awareness of the process of eye donation and corneal transplantation. Materials and Methods: A comparative, questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the awareness on eye donation among medical and nonmedical students of Puducherry. The participants were given a predesigned and structured questionnaire which included 25 questions after informed consent was obtained from them. The results were derived through the statistical analysis. Results: The primary source of awareness for both groups was mass media. About 90.3% of medical and 41.9% of the nonmedical students knew that consent for eye donation is given by the donor while alive (P < 0.000), also that the first-degree relatives have the right to give consent for the dead was 88.2% and 49.5% among medical and nonmedical students, respectively (P < 0.000). Three-fourths of medical and half the nonmedical students knew that corneal donation could not cure all types of blindness. Around 87.1% of medical and 36.6% of nonmedical students were aware that eyes with corneal diseases could not be donated. Conclusion: The present study showed that participants from both groups were aware of eye donation, but the awareness among nonmedical students was not adequate. This study also shows that mass media was the most common source of awareness among the students, which could be used to create further awareness among the students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Cognizant and well aware medical and nursing students are expected to influence and positively mold the eye donation rates in India. Keeping this in view, this study was designed to assess and compare eye donation awareness among medical and nursing students.Methods: A cross-sectional and comparative study undertaken on the occasion of eye donation fortnight among 112 medical and 115 nursing students. A pretested semi-structured questionnaire on eye donation was given to each student after getting informed consent. The software used for analysis of data was SPSS version 22.0.Results: All the medical students and 91.3% of nursing students (P < 0.0016) had heard about eye donation. Eye donation fortnight is celebrated every year to create awareness was known to 42% of medical students and 29.5% of nursing students (P < 0.05). Television, newspaper, magazines, and posters were found to be important sources of information in both groups. Eye donation can give vision to the blind was the primary motivational force both among medical and nursing students (P < 0.001). The ideal time of eye donation is within 6 h of death was known to 69% of medical students and 60.9% nursing students. Lack of awareness and objection of family members are the two significant perceived responses to non-donation in both groups. 88.4% of medical students and 79.1% of nursing students are willing to donate their eyes in future.Conclusion: The awareness of eye donation among medical students is better than nursing students. However, the willingness to pledge their eyes is almost equal in both groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study is to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding eye donation in patients attending outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: The data were collected by the questionnaire method from 500 patients waiting in outpatient department of ophthalmology. The questionnaire included questions pertaining to demographic profile, literacy, occupation, awareness about eye donation, willingness to donate, reasons for not pledging, and the sources of information. Results: Percentage of awareness of eye donation was equal in males and females. Significantly less awareness of eye donation was found in illiterate individuals (P < 0.0001) and Muslims (P < 0.0001). 66.6% participants were aware of eye donation and eye camps were the major source of information. 51.50% were willing to pledge their eyes. Lack of awareness was the major reason for not willing to pledge in 32.91% participants. Chi-square analysis between “awareness” and “willingness” groups showed that age group, gender, residency, and occupations were independent factors contributing to willingness to donate, while religion and education showed significant association between awareness and willingness (P < 0.05). Participants who were initially not aware about eye donation (33.6%), after being counseled showed positive responses of willingness to pledge. Conclusion: The data showed that most of the people were aware about eye donation and were willing to donate their eyes; however, the attitude and practice showed mixed responses. Participants had misconceptions about eye donation. Therefore, to reduce the burden of avoidable corneal blindness effective measures should be taken by ophthalmologists, physicians, and especially religious leaders to educate and motivate people for eye donation.

Purpose: To understand trends, awareness, influences and barriers to eye donation in Indian society. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in Delhi from March 2017 to February 2018. About 10 hospitals collaborated with the Eye Bank under Human Cornea Retrieval Program (HCRP). Eye Bank recruited Eye Donation Counselors (EDCs) to approach family members of the deceased. A pretested questionnaire was used for this study. Irrespective of whether the next of kin of the deceased consented for eye donation or not, the option of participating in the survey was given. Results: Out of 473 potential donors identified, 407 (86%) next of kin consented to participate in the study. Of these, 388 (95.3%) were males and 19 (4.7%) were females. About 168 (41%) consented for eye donation and were assigned to donor group, while 239 (59%) participants refused eye donation and were assigned to non-donor group. Majority of the participants were siblings 170 (41.8%) of the deceased and the mean age of the deceased was 42.71 ± 17.56 years. The foremost concern before decision-making was transparency in how the cornea would be used (32.25%). The concern with regards to whether the body would remain intact after eye donation significantly decreased the probability of consent for eye donation. Conclusion: The study highlights that barriers to eye donation in India are not cultural or religious but more due to misinformation and proper utilization of the donated tissue. This study also emphasizes the pivotal role of EDC's in facilitating the eye donation movement.

Introduction: Nearly 6.8 million people in India have vision less than 6/60 in at least one eye due to corneal diseases; of these, about a million had bilateral involvement. Purpose: To identify the challenges faced; the trends in collection, storage and utilisation of corneal tissues in an eye bank in north India. Materials and methods: The past records of Eye Bank linked to a tertiary hospital in northern India were analysed from November'1999 to October'2015 with respect to number of eye donations per year, donor demographics and utilisation of corneal tissues. Results: The number of donations during the first 6 years were 100, 279 in the next 5 years and 473 in the last 5 years. The mean donor age was 63.2 ± 19.5 years. The percentage of donors less than 30, 31–60 and more than 60 years was 10%, 28% and 62%. Forty-two percent donations were from the hospital. The average time between the death and enucleation was 4.74 ± 5.31 hours. The percentage of corneas used in the donor age groups less than 30, 31–60 and above 60 years was 61.9%, 61.6% and 53.8%, respectively. The usability rate of the corneas from home and hospital was 63.7% and 55.3%, respectively. Conclusions: The eye bank had a lukewarm response in the beginning, but gained momentum with time. The myths and beliefs prevalent in our society deter people from donating eyes freely. Each eye bank needs to individualise its problems and find solutions for adequate procurement and utilisation of tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Corneal donation is one of important modalities to reduce bilateral blindness in India. Awareness about the eye donation plays important role in eye donation. The objective of this study was to assess the awareness about eye donation among people attending ophthalmology OPD in a tertiary hospital of western India. Methodology: Across sectional study was conducted among people attending OPD of ophthalmology department in a tertiary care hospital. The data were collected using predesigned structured questionnaire which include demographic data, age, sex, marital status, educational status, awareness about eye donation, source of awareness willingness to donate eyes, etc. Results: Among the 105 participants, 35.2% were aged 31 to 45 year and 58.1% were male. Among the 105 participants, 74.3% were aware about eye donation and 51 were willing to donate eye. Among those who were aware, audio-visual media like TV and Radio were the commonest source of awareness about eye donation. Conclusion: There is a immense need to increase awareness about eye donation in the society. Multi prong strategies are needed to improve knowledge and awareness about the eye donation in the society.

Andrew M Williams,1 Kelly W Muir2,3 1Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; 2Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; 3Durham VA Medical Center, Health Services Research and Development, Durham, NC, USA Abstract: There is a severe shortage of donor corneas available worldwide for transplantation, with the number of patients in need of transplant greatly exceeding the number of cornea tissues available. Understanding awareness and attitudes about corneal donation worldwide is a critical step toward addressing this shortage. In this review, awareness of corneal donation and reported willingness to donate are summarized from 55 published studies across 13 countries. In general, many more respondents indicated positive attitudes toward eye donation and willingness to donate their eyes than the number of respondents who have pledged their eyes for donation, suggesting an unrealized potential of additional donors. Specifically, of 38,851 respondents across all included studies, 52% endorsed a willingness to donate their eyes after death, yet only 5% reported being a pledged donor. The most commonly cited reason for not being a registered eye donor was lack of awareness about eye donation. The disconnection between the large number of people who expressed willingness to donate and the scarcity of individuals who have pledged their eyes for donation could be addressed through educational media campaigns, collaborations with medical personnel, partnerships with grief counselors and religious leaders, use of social media, and educational sessions with medical students and staff. Keywords: eye donation, corneal transplantation, attitudes, eye bank, organ donation

Introduction: Blindness is one of the major public health problems in India. Visual rehabilitation by corneal transplantation remains a major treatment option in those who are already blind due to corneal diseases. To combat with shortage of corneal donation in India, spreading awareness among masses regarding eye donation becomes important. Objectives: (1) To determine the awareness regarding eye donation amongst adults (>20 years) in an urban re-settlement colony of Delhi. (2) To assess their willingness to pledge for eye donation. (3) To determine the factors influencing their decision for eye donation. Material and Methods: This was a cross sectional study, conducted in the urban health centre attached to a medical college of Delhi between October to December 2013. Systematic random sampling was used and every alternate adult patient >20 yrs attending the UHC was recruited. Data entry and analysis was done using SPSS by a single investigator. Results: Majority (84.4%) had heard of eye donation. Only 21.2% were aware about contraindications for donating eyes. A little over quarter (27.6%) had heard of eye bank facility. When asked whether the retrieved eye can be stored before transplantation, majority (59.2%) didn’t know. More than half (54%) didn’t know which part of eye is removed. Mass media was major source of information in three forth respondents (74.9%). 45.5% were willing to pledge their eyes, a similar proportion was not willing (44.1%), five (2.4%) had already pledged and 17 (8.1%) were yet undecided to pledge. Conclusion: While majority of participants had heard of eye donation, but their knowledge regarding certain aspects of eye donation was found to be poor.

Objectives: To study the awareness about causes of blindness, Eye donation, NPCB and Vision 2020 among students of Medical, Paramedical, Engineering College and General Public in a semi-urban centre. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted at the Velammal Medical College Hospital in 4 months duration, which recruited around 2000 individuals from general public, students from various disciplines. A semi structured Questionnaire was presented and responses were recorded. They were analysed statistically. Results: Almost half of the respondents were not aware about existence of NPCB programme and awareness about existence of programme is high among Nursing Students (96.92%). Awareness about causes of blindness is significantly higher among Medical students (99.23%).Awareness about eye donation is only about 74.5%. Awareness about various aspects of Childhood eye diseases is about 70-80%. Conclusion: There is an improper utilisation of NPCB programme services due to lack of awareness about the same. Some of the strategies that the students were willing to participate were widespread awareness programmes in media and outreach programmes at gross root level. So we should utilise the resources and potential of student community in educating the public.

Introduction: Corneal blindness in developing countries mainly affects the younger population. About 95% of corneal blindness can be avoided. The economic burden to society is much higher with corneal blindness compared to cataracts. Corneal transplant (Keratoplasty) is the primary vision restoring procedure to rehabilitate patients with corneal blindness. The procedure requires viable corneal tissue. The corneal tissues are procured either by voluntary eye donations or through the Hospital Cornea Retrieval Programme (HCRP). The objective of HCRP is to encourage potential eye donations from hospital deaths by utilising a combined method of motivation and grief counselling. Aim: To find the possibility of cornea retrieval in the district hospital of Tumakuru, Karnataka. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study analysed the number of hospital deaths at district hospital, Tumakuru, Karnataka, India, between January 2016 and December 2016. The study was conducted at the same hospital from May 2017 to July 2017. Patient demographics, systemic illnesses, treatment received, and cause of death were obtained from the 757 medical records. Analysis was done for potential corneal donors as per the National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB) guidelines. Results: The total number of deaths was 679, which included 375 (55.23%) males and 304 (44.77%) females with maximum death in age group 71-80 years. Of the total deaths, those between 3 and 40 years of age were 196 (28.86%). After excluding the contraindications of cornea retrieval as per NPCB guidelines, 1016 corneas could have been retrieved out of 508 (74.8%) deceased. Conclusion: Hospital cornea retrieval programme can immensely contribute to fill the deficiency of donor corneal tissue. The present study concluded that upto 74.8% of corneas could have been potentially retrieved and indicates a vast potential to reduce the deficit of corneal tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In India, as per the latest available estimates the prevalence of blindness is about 1%. The major causes include Cataract (62.6%), refractive Error (19.70%), corneal blindness (0.90%). Corneal transplantation from the donor's eyes is one of the important strategies to address the corneal blindness. But there is a huge gap with respect to the number of corneas required and the number of corneas donated or being collected in India. This can be attributed to multitude of factors including poor knowledge, socio cultural barriers, religious perceptions etc. Aim: To assessing the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding he eyed donation among rural population. Materials and methods: A hospital based cross sectional study was conducted in the Department of Ophthalmology, Dhanalaksmi Srinivasan Medical College and Hospital. The study had included 403 patients above 18 years of age, belonging to both genders, living in a rural area. The data was collected using a structured questionnaire. Informed written consent was obtained from all the study participants. Data was analyzed using Microsoft excel and IBM SPSS software version 21. Results: In the current study, 43% of the study population was willing to pledge their eyes and another 45% of the study population was willing to consider pledging the eyes, with some more information. Only 12% of the study population had explicitly refused to pledge their eyes. Majority of them 85.75% agreed that Its a service to humanity, everyone needs to do it. Conclusion: The awareness level regarding the eye donation is poor among the rural population. The key gaps in the knowledge are in willingness to pledge and actual pledging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the awareness, knowledge and attitude regarding eye donation in staff of a tertiary eye care hospital in North India. Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted on the employees of a tertiary eye care centre (urban area) along with its four secondary centres (rural area). Socio-demographic profile, awareness, knowledge and attitude of 507 employees regarding eye donation were evaluated through a pretested, self-administered questionnaire. Knowledge-based questions were scored. Results: Of the 507 participants, 327 (64.5%) participants were from medical/paramedical field (Group 1) and 180 (35.5%) were from non-medical field (Group 2). Awareness about eye donation was 99%. Twenty (3.95%) participants scored poor (0–8), 90 (17.75%) had a fair score (9–16) and 397 (78.30%) had a good score (17–24). Good knowledge was found in significantly more (P = 0.01) participants in Group 1 (77.37%) as compared to Group 2 (70.1%). Four hundred and fifty-seven (90.13%) participants were willing to pledge their eyes for donation, the prime motivational force being spreading vision to the blind [346 (68.24%)]. The perceived reasons for not pledging were religious [28 (5.52%)], thought of family getting upset [29 (5.72%)] and scepticism regarding proper usage of tissue [64 (12.62%)]. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that although there is a substantial awareness about eye donation, there are certain lacunae in the knowledge and perceptions among staff of an eye care hospital. With the correct knowledge and attitude, they can contribute by creating awareness and motivating the people for eye donation while carrying out their routine hospital activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]