H. Schmidt, J. Becker, H. Friederichs, T. Geldmacher, B. Marschall, J. Sensmeier, F. A. Muthny


Abstract
Organ transplantation gives many patients the chance to survive and contributes decisively to the quality of life. The opportunities of this valuable treatment method fundamentally depend on the knowledge, competencies and motivation of medical doctors, who do not only play an important role in transplant surgery and intensive care, but can also be very important in the process of organ transplantation and in general practice. For this reason a initiative group at the university hospital of Muenster (Germany) has developed and systematically applied a teaching unit, which provides for all medical students in clinical studies basic knowledge on medical, ethical and psychosocial aspects of organ donation, and also deals concretely with the procedures of allocation, indication, transplant surgery and aftercare. The deliberate interdisciplinary approach uses different teaching methods as lectures, problem oriented learning and small group work. Within the frame of the “teaching hospital” of Muenster, brain death diagnostics, communication with transplant patients and with bereaved relatives is trained, using actors as simulated patients and relatives. The results of the questionnaire evaluation by 82 students  (83% return rate) show a good acceptance of the teaching unit and do not only improvement of knowledge but also manifold effects in terms of  changed attitudes and  improved action competencies  with respect to the donation process, the transplantation procedure, the caring for the relatives and the aftercare.

Key words: organ transplantation, organ donation, medical education, evaluation


Prof. Dr. Hartmut Schmidt
Klinik und Poliklinik für Transplantationsmedizin
Universitätsklinikum Münster (UKM)
Domagkstr. 3a
48149 Münster
E-Mail: hepar@bitte-keinen-spamukmuenster.de