Barriers and facilitators of deceased organ donation among Pakistanis living globally: a systematic review

Britzer Paul Vincent
,
Zeeshan Ghaffar
,
Asmaa Al-Abdulghani
,
Ifza Taaruf
,
Grace Idam
,
Gurch Randhawa

University of Bedfordshire
,
Royal Oldham Hospital
,
University of Bedfordshire
,
The Christie NHS Foundation Trust
,
Luton and Dunstable University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Open access

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To identify the barriers and facilitators towards deceased organ donation among Pakistanis living globally.

DESIGN: Systematic review using narrative synthesis.

DATA SOURCES: CINAHL, Medline with Full Text, Global Health and PsycINFO via EBSCO; Scopus via Elsevier; Web of Science via Clarivate; and PubMed through the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health were searched between 1 January 1995 and 31 July 2024 and limited to English.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: We included qualitative and cross-sectional studies involving Pakistani participants aged 18 years and above, conducted both within Pakistan and internationally across settings such as universities, religious venues, hospitals and workplaces.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Four independent reviewers were involved in screening, quality assessment and data extraction. A narrative synthesis method was employed to synthesise and integrate the data from qualitative and cross-sectional studies. The Joanna Briggs Institute tool was used to assess the quality of the included studies.

RESULTS: Out of 11 944 studies retrieved, 26 studies were included in the current review. Based on the narrative synthesis, the findings are presented under the following five themes: (1) knowledge of deceased organ donation, (2) willingness towards deceased organ donation, (3) collective decision-making overriding individual's preferences, (4) religious uncertainty and its impact on deceased organ donation and (5) trust and the healthcare systems.

CONCLUSION: This review shows that decisions about deceased organ donation are shaped by family dynamics, religious beliefs and trust in healthcare. More diverse research is needed to uncover new gaps and improve donor registration and consent rates in Pakistan. A whole-systems approach, considering families, religion and trust, is essential for effective strategies.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42022346343.