Barriers and facilitators of deceased organ donation among Muslims living globally: An integrative systematic review

Aim

To identify the barriers and facilitators of deceased organ donation among the Muslim community living globally.

Method

A systematic search was undertaken in databases such as CINAHL, Medline with full text, Global Health and PsycINFO via EBSCO; Scopus via Elsevier; Web of Science via Clarivate; and PubMed via US National Library of Medicine National Institute of Health were used to retrieve the studies on the 31st of December 2023. Apart from these databases two other journals, the Saudi Journal of Kidney Diseases and Transplantation, and the Journal of Experimental and Clinical Transplantation were also used to search for relevant studies. Quantitative and qualitative studies that addressed the aim of the present review published from the 30th of April 2008 were included.

Results

Of the 10,474 studies, 95 studies were included in the review. The following five themes were generated based on narrative synthesis: 1) knowledge of organ donation, 2) willingness to donate, 3) community influence, 4) bodily influence, and 5) religious influence. While individuals view organ donation as a noble act, societal influences significantly impact their decision to register. Concerns include religious permissibility, potential misuse for commercial purposes, and the dignity and respect given to the deceased donor's body.

Conclusions

This review finds deceased organ donation decisions in this population are collective, influenced by religious views, and hindered by uncertainty. Interventional studies on strategies to address uncertainty could help us identify best practices for this population to improve deceased organ donation. Rather than an individual approach among this population, a whole-system approach, tailored-made evidence-guided community engagement could improve donation rates.