International travel for organ transplantation: a survey of professional experiences and attitudes towards data collection and reporting

Background Lack of data regarding international travel for organ transplantation (ITOT) hampers efforts to evaluate, understand and respond to trends in ITOT activities, such as those suggestive of organ trafficking or “transplant tourism.” This study aimed to assess transplant professionals’ experience of ITOT and their attitudes towards reporting of ITOT data to a global registry. Methods An international cross-sectional anonymous survey of transplant professionals was conducted online (October-December 2022). The English language questionnaire assessed professional experiences in providing care to individuals who had travelled to or from a country for living donation or transplantation, and attitudes towards reporting of ITOT data. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics. Results 239 individuals from 68 countries completed the entire questionnaire, of whom 79% had provided care for ≥1 patient who had travelled internationally for donation or transplantation. Of these, 60.8% (n=115) had cared for ≥1 person who engaged in ITOT between 2019 and 2022, with most recent case experiences involving 89 countries and 157 unique routes of international travel. Predominant concerns regarding reporting of ITOT data to a global registry related to prevention of harm and protection of patient privacy; most (52.7%; n=126) respondents expressed a preference for anonymous reporting of ITOT data. Conclusions ITOT is a global phenomenon and transplant professionals’ experience with ITOT cases is more common than anticipated. Systems for collection of ITOT activity data should be carefully designed to address potential ethical concerns of transplant professionals which may influence reporting practices.