An Investigation into the Public's Attitude Toward Opting out of Brain Death.

ABSTRACT:

Background

There have been growing sentiments that the Uniform Determination of Death Act needs to be revised. One suggestion is to include a conscience clause, that is, allowing patients to "opt-out" of brain death determination. Understanding public attitudes toward a conscience clause may help inform policymakers and future proposed revisions. Therefore, we sought to investigate informed public attitudes toward continued medical support after the determination of brain death.

Methods

A nationwide online survey was distributed by a third-party provider. The survey had three components: (1) a 2-min educational video that explains five basic facts of brain death, (2) a validated five-item questionnaire to measure understanding of brain death, and (3) a six-item questionnaire

SUBMITTER: Ludka N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12321666 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature