Awareness and knowledge of eye donation in patients attending eye OPD in a tertiary care hospital in north India

Introduction: Corneal opacity is the leading cause of blindness among the Indian population of the age group 0-49 years, and it is the third most prevalent cause of blindness among the age group 50 years and above. Corneal transplantation is the sole method available for restoring vision in individuals with corneal opacity. However, willingness to donate eyes depends on an individual’s awareness and level of knowledge. Aim and objectives: To assess the awareness and knowledge of eye donation in patients attending eye OPD in a tertiary care hospital in North India. Material and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study, and a total of 140 participants who were ≥ 18 years of age were included in this study. They were asked to participate in a questionnaire after a written informed consent was taken. The responses were recorded in a Microsoft Excel sheet and analyzed. Results: Out of the total 140 participants, 42.14% were female and 57.86% were male. The majority of the participants belonged to the age group of 30-81 years. Among these, 64% were aware of eye donation, while 36% were unaware. The most common sources of information were family members, relatives, or friends (31.1%), followed by mass media platforms such as radio and television (27.7%). Only 44% of the aware individuals were willing to donate their eyes, and 33.3% of the aware individuals correctly identified that eye donation should be done within 6 hours of death. Conclusion: While awareness of eye donation is above average, the knowledge about eye donation was inadequate, and misconceptions persisted. Educational initiatives are needed to address these gaps. We also need to improve corneal tissue availability.