Public confidence in human tissue regulation has increased

Confidence in human tissue regulation has increased after three years, according to and Ipsos survey for the Human Tissue Authority (HTA) published today.

Confidence in human tissue regulation has increased after three years, according to surveys published today. The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) watchdog commissioned Ipsos to determine public and professional views on the regulation of human tissue. General public survey results The general public study shows that people are more confident to donate tissue knowing that there is a regulator: 48% would be more confident to donate tissue for medical research, while only 17% would not; 52% would be more confident to donate organs for transplant, 16% would not, and 43% would have greater confidence donating their bodies for medical education and training, though 23% would not. The survey also demonstrates the importance which the public places on consent for allowing one's tissue to be used: two-thirds (64%) say it is never acceptable to use a person's tissue or organs for any purpose after death without their consent or that of their family, with 13% saying it is; and 55% say it is never acceptable for their family to override their wishes after they have given consent for donation of their organs or tissue for any purpose after death, though 16% disagree. Professional survey results 349 professional stakeholders were also surveyed by Ipsos (online), all of whom work closely with the HTA. These professionals came from all five sectors which the HTA licenses (post mortem, anatomy, research, human application, and public display) and from the field of organ and bone marrow donation. Key results from surveying this group include:

  • Approaching nine in ten (86%) have `a great deal' or a `fair amount' of confidence in the HTA as a regulator.160
  • Nearly two in five such stakeholders (39%) say their confidence has increased in the past three years. 43% say there has been no change and 9% report it has worsened.160
  • Around half of the respondents believe that the HTA's performance has improved in the last three years (49%). Around one in four (26%) say it has remained the same and 7% say it has worsened. Almost seven in ten have a favourable opinion of the HTA (68%); though almost one in five (17%) are unfavourable.160
  • The HTA is widely perceived to be `professional', `informative' and `accessible', with eight in ten or more professional stakeholders describing it in these terms (from a list of descriptions).160
  • On advocacy, approaching six in ten professional stakeholders (58%) would speak highly about the HTA - if asked - and, in some cases, even without being asked. This places the HTA 4th out of 20 public sector organisations whose stakeholders' and users' views Ipsos has evaluated in its Public Sector Norms Bank1.

Of the findings, Michele Corrado, Director of Health and Social Research at Ipsos, said:

"It is noteworthy that general public confidence in human tissue regulation has increased over the last three years, particularly at a time when confidence in a number of other areas has declined. The professional stakeholder findings reveal that four years since the HTA was formed, the majority of this group from across the range of sectors in which the HTA operates are favourable towards it. "Furthermore, 58% of stakeholders would be advocates of the HTA, comparing very well with the average of other public sector organisations that Ipsos has surveyed, which is 47%. Also, the HTA scores very highly indeed (84%) on keeping its professional stakeholders informed, coming second out of seventeen when benchmarked against other public sector organisations in Ipsos's normative data bank.2"

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Technical Note The programme of research involved both qualitative and quantitative research among the British general public and professional and Key Opinion leader (KOL) stakeholders. The details of each stage of the research project are as follows:160

  • KOL Qualitative Research: 19160telephone depth-interviews160 were conducted between 26 May - 21 June 2010.160
  • Professional Stakeholder Quantitative Research: Online quantitative survey of 349 Professional Stakeholders conducted between 14 June - 2 July 2010.160
  • General Public Quantitative Research: A nationally representative quota sample of 967 adults (15+) were interviewed throughout Great Britain between 13-19 August 2010; and a further 1,019 adults (15+) were interviewed between 20-26 August 2010. Interviews were carried out face-to-face in respondents' homes. Data were weighted to match the profile of the GB population.

160Notes

1 HTA Online Survey - Professional Groups (see page 24 for Ipsos's public sector normative data bank - displaying various user and stakeholder surveys of public sector organisations). 2 HTA Online Survey - Professional Groups (see page 24 for Ipsos's public sector normative data bank -displaying various user and stakeholder surveys of public sector organisations).

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