Το social marketing στην επικοινωνιακή στρατηγική της δωρεάς και των μεταμοσχεύσεων συμπαγών οργάνων - Η περίπτωση της Ελλάδας

Μωρέλλας, Αλέξανδρος

Social marketing in the communication strategy of solid organ donation and transplantation - The case of Greece

Master Thesis

Author

Μωρέλλας, Αλέξανδρος

Date

2024

Abstract

Over 100 countries worldwide currently offer organ transplantation services. Comprehensive transplant programs in each of these nations rely on the support and interaction of three key stakeholders: the government (representing society and its Ministry of Health), healthcare professionals who perform or coordinate transplants, and the media, which highlights the need for organ donation and objectively communicates the benefits of transplantation as a medical practice. The ultimate recipient of policies, information, and messaging is civil society, whose members may find themselves either as potential donors or recipients of organs. As such, individuals are encouraged to decide during their lifetime whether they wish to donate their organs while alive, after death, or to permit the donation of a deceased relative's organs. However, despite the organization of health systems, advancements in medical science, awareness campaigns, and the development of health policies, no country in the world can fully meet its citizens' needs for solid organ donations. In 2023, approximately 7,300 patients in Europe lost their lives while waiting for an organ transplant, underscoring the pressing need for more available organs. According to the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM), over 13,000 patients were on waiting lists by the end of 2023. Despite increased donations and cross-border organ exchanges facilitated by organizations like Eurotransplant, which supports cooperation among eight European countries, demand continues to outstrip supply. In Europe, six new patients are added to national organ transplant waiting lists every hour, and approximately 19 patients die daily while waiting for a lifesaving transplant (EDQM). In Greece, more than 1,350 individuals are on the waiting list for solid organ transplants, while 12,000 kidney disease patients undergo dialysis, with the average waiting time for a kidney transplant being 8.8 years (Hellenic Transplant Organization). One of the main reasons for the scarcity of organs is citizens’ reluctance to register as organ donors and families’ refusal to consent to the donation of their deceased relatives' organs, often occurring in Intensive Care Units. This highlights the urgent need for awareness and education. One of the tools used by developed national health systems to raise awareness is the principles and methods of social marketing. Collaborating with the media, using techniques, campaigns, and initiatives, social marketing seeks to address this critical public health issue, aiming to increase the number of potential donors. This study aims to highlight the concept of social marketing, the techniques it employs to raise awareness and influence citizens' attitudes toward public health issues, the unique communication challenges of organ donation, and, finally, the findings of a qualitative study conducted in 2019, exploring Greek society’s stance on this critical issue.

Postgraduate Studies Programme

Οικονομικά και Διοίκηση της Υγείας

Department

Σχολή Οικονομικών, Επιχειρηματικών και Διεθνών Σπουδών. Τμήμα Οικονομικής Επιστήμης

Number of pages

131

Language

Greek

URI

https://dione.lib.unipi.gr/xmlui/handle/unipi/17426

Collections

Τμήμα Οικονομικής Επιστήμης

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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as
Αναφορά Δημιουργού-Όχι Παράγωγα Έργα 3.0 Ελλάδα