• Emmanouil K Symvoulakis, Adelais Markaki, Christos Galanakis, Spyridon Klinis, Myfanwy Morgan, and Roger Jones.
• 1. Private Family Practice Unit in Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
• Int J Med Sci. 2013 Jan 1; 10 (11): 1547-51.

AbstractNew legislation in Greece towards presumed consent for organ donation, effective as of June 2013, has come at a critical moment. This pilot study aims to explore awareness, specific concerns and intentions about the new organ donation framework among patients attending Greek general practices in a rural and urban setting. Only 2.6% of respondents had a donor card, a mere 9.6% was aware of new legislation, whereas only 3.8% considered that the public had been adequately informed. Higher income respondents were more likely to be aware that they would be considered organ donors upon death, unless declared differently. Urban practice respondents were less likely to have previously discussed with a significant other their intentions in regards to presumed consent. One quarter of all respondents (22.4%) intended to carry out their right to prohibit organ removal upon death. Survey results reveal that organ donation reform has yet to be disseminated by the Greek society, underscoring the urgency for targeted information campaigns.

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