Canadians’ attitudes and opinions regarding cardiac donation after cardiocirculatory death: A mixed-methods study

Heart transplantation remains the best treatment for patients with end-stage heart disease. However, a major challenge for heart transplantation is the persistent discrepancy between the number of patients on waiting lists and the number of available hearts (CBS, 2015). While other countries (e.g., United Kingdom and Australia) have explored and implemented alternative models of transplantation such as heart donation after cardiocirculatory death determination (DCDD) to decrease transplantation wait times, Canada has only recently begun to do so. The purpose of this study is to explore the attitudes and opinions of healthcare providers and the public on heart DCDD and to describe opportunities and challenges in ensuring the cardiac DCDD programs in Canada are consistent with Canadian values as a first step towards large-scale implementation of heart DCDD programs nationwide. The study will occur in two phases. The first will involve semi-structured interviews of healthcare providers. The second will be focus group activities with members of the general public. Data from both phases will then be combined with our previous national surveys into a report targeted at stakeholders and decision makers designing heart DCDD programs. Our findings will be of great interest to researchers, clinicians, as well as policy makers.

BALL, Ian

Western University

Kenneth J. Fyke Award Program

Ontario

$95,929