The impact of health professionals' attitudes about being registered donors on the availability of organs.

The mismatch between supply and demand in organ donation is well documented. Although there are many reasons for this mismatch, failure of health professionals to identify potential donors or to gain consent from bereaved relatives is considered to be significant. Such failures may be due to the attitudes of health professionals themselves towards becoming organ donors. This study focuses on the level of commitment shown by health care professionals and their student equivalents to organ donation, and assesses the ways in which they identify themselves as potential organ donors. These findings are evaluated and suggestions for future practice are offered.